Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age
by dreamer802
Summary: In the heat of a battle, anything can happen. When one blast manages to find it's target, history will be changed forever. Ten years ago, the unimaginable occurred and Earth's Greatest Warrior was slain on the battlefield, leaving the world in the clutches of the Demon King's son. What if Piccolo, during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, killed Goku?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this fanfic of mine!**

 **It is a remake/enhancement of a previously released fanfic of mine. I wrote it...six years ago and was unable to get back into that account to remove/replace it. So, I had to create a new profile so I could release this version of it.**

 **I hope you enjoy Chapter One :)**

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 **This work is a fan fiction.**

 **DRAGONBALL, DRAGONBALL Z, AND DRAGONBALL GT are all owned by FUNimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV and Akira Toriyama.**

 **Please support the official release.**

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 **Chapter 1 - The 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament**

Goku breathes heavy as his whole body shakes from his bruises. Just hours ago he was reuniting with old friends, excited about entering another World Martial Arts Tournament. Now, he faces the very real threat of dying. His opponent is a towering, green skinned man named Piccolo Jr. The son of Piccolo Daimao, an old enemy that Goku defeated years ago, Piccolo has proven to be Goku's toughest opponent yet. However, Goku is more excited than scared at this point. The thrill of such an intense battle brings a smile to Goku's face.

Seconds ago, Piccolo destroyed the Martial Arts stage and it's surrounding area with a devastating explosion. In its place is a raised section of dirt in the shape of a square and scorched land around it. Goku's friends were sure that couldn't survive a blast of that magnitude but much to everyone's surprise, Goku did survive.

"T-That's not possible!" Piccolo says as he takes a step backward. He stutters in disbelief at the sight of his still living opponent. Piccolo put quite a bit of energy into that explosion, Goku should be nothing more than ash right now. Yet, there he stands. Just as determined as ever.

"You can't get rid of me that easily! I'm still standing and I'm going to win!" Goku defiantly states as he holds his fist out in front of him. His heart racing and blood pumping, he can't wait to see what else Piccolo has up his sleeve. Goku strikes a fighting pose, one fist extending out towards Piccolo while another close to his face as he informs his weary opponent, "Alright, it's time to put an end this!" Goku brings his arms up to form an X before separating them. He starts to yell as he begins to build up power. Power that Piccolo can not believe he still has.

Energy begins to flow through Goku and after several seconds, Goku stops yelling. A smirk crosses his face as he gets ready to charge at Piccolo.

"Oh no. This is going to hurt," Piccolo comments as he takes another step back. He's trying to recover his energy but he needs more time. Time Goku isn't about to give him.

Goku chuckles at his opponent's comment before replying, "A lot." The moment those words leave Goku's lips, he breaks into a very fast run.

He lets out a battle cry as he runs towards Piccolo. He covers the distance between them extremely quick, faster than Piccolo can mount a solid defense. Goku hits Piccolo in the cheek with his elbow, knocking his foe back several steps. Not about to give his opponent a chance to counter, Goku unleashes a fury of kicks against Piccolo. He lands several especially strong blows against Piccolo's stomach and chin. He finishes the combo by landing three swift kicks against Piccolo's face. One on each cheek and a finishing kick to the face.

Piccolo grunts as he stumbles back, blood escaping from his mouth and into the air. Goku lets out another yell as he brings his fist forward with all of his might and slams it into Piccolo's stomach. Piccolo's eyes grow big as blood injects from his mouth from the impact. The strength of Goku's punch lifts Piccolo up off the ground a few inches and causes him to partly bend forward. Piccolo lets out a long, painful groan before falling to his side and onto the ground. His opponent weak, Goku leaps high up into the air. He has one last technique that will finish the battle.

Goku cups his hands together and points them at Piccolo. "Ka...Me..." Goku pulls his cups hand back as he focuses his ki into the center of his body. "Ha..." Goku continues to focus his ki as he brings his hands back even further. "Me..." Blue energy suddenly appears in between his hands. It's producing a bright light that shines out from the ki ball. Piccolo regains his senses just in time to witness the ball of energy appearing.

"Watch out!" Krillin, Goku's best friend, shouts to the spectators. Everybody prepares themselves for the incoming shockwave the best that they can.

"HA!" Goku shouts as he swings his arms forward and fires a beam of blue ki at Piccolo. Piccolo screams as he remains on his back, currently too weak to blast travels fairly quick before enveloping Piccolo and the ground around him. The blast makes a howling sound as it throws sand and rocks of various shapes and sizes into the air. The rocks pelts Goku's friends as they try and keep their eyes on the battlefield. The bright light from the Kamehameha is too bright for them, forcing them to shield their eyes.

After several seconds, the beam fades and the only sound that can be heard is that of the wind blowing. As everyone returns to their feet, they watch as Goku tumbles through the air and lands safely on his feet. In front of Goku is a large cr0ater, caused by the Kamehameha. In the center of the crater, his mouth wide opened and half covered in dirt, is Piccolo.

Goku stares at his opponent, waiting for any sign of consciousness. Once it is obvious that Piccolo is not getting back up, Goku looks over his shoulder and shouts, "Hey! Why don't you start counting!?" to the Announcer.

The Announcer, having witnessed the entire fight, takes a few seconds to process what Goku just asked him. He lets out a, "Huh?" before realizing what he needs to do. "Oh, right!" He says before getting up and running over to the crater.

"I doubt he's getting up from that attack," Tien says confidently.

"Does that mean..." Chi-Chi, the woman Goku promised to marry, says as she stares at Goku. "He's the winner!" She shouts as she cups her hands together in excitement. Bulma and Oolong let out a sigh of relief as Krillin and Master Roshi let out chuckles of relief and happiness.

Upon seeing the injured Piccolo, the Announcer is completely speechless. After staring with his mouth wide open, he begins to utter, "Is he..Do you think he's...Is he dead?!"

"No," Goku replies with a matter-of-fact tone. "He's not that weak. Besides, Kami is still here."

Kami, the Guardian of Earth, takes a step forward before adding to Goku's comment. "He's right. Junior is merely unconscious. I suggest you start the count before he awakens."

"Oh, right," The Announcer replies, having completely forgotten about the count in the short amount of time. He clears his throat before raising his index finger high into the sky. "1...2...3..." The Announcer counts by himself. As he gets to seven, Goku's friends join in.

"7! 8! 9!" They chant as Goku gives them a thumbs up and laughs triumphantly. The battle had been rough but Goku has won. Not just the fight but also the World Martial Arts Tournament...what's left of it anyways.

The Announcer raises his hand again, ready to count to 10 and bring a close to this very long day, when the impossible happens. Piccolo suddenly sits up and fires a beam of yellow ki from his mouth. The blast catches Goku completely by surprise as it pierces through his chest. Everyone lets out gasps of horror as Goku's body falls to the ground.

Everyone continues to stare in disbelief as Piccolo struggles to rise to his feet. The Announcer falls to the ground and begins to crawl away at the sight of Piccolo's sneak attack.

Goku is not moving.

"Oh no...G-Goku...he's not moving!" Chi-Chi shouts as tears begin to form in her eyes. She refuses to face what appears to have happened.

Breathing heavily, Piccolo walks over to his fallen foe. Upon seeing Goku's lifeless eyes and unmoving body, he begins to laugh. His blast managed to hit Goku's heart, killing him. Piccolo's evil laughter echoes across the barren wasteland.

Time seems to stop for everyone. They all feel like they are in a bad dream. "No, no, no!" Master Roshi shouts at the sight of his dead pupil. Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin all growl as they assume an attack stance, ready to attack Piccolo. Kami lets out a groan of desperation at the sight.

"But...But how could Goku lose?" Bulma asks out loud as she falls to her knees. Chi-Chi covers her face as she begins to cry, unable to stand the sight of her future husband having been slain.

Piccolo's laughter finally comes to an end. "For crimes committed against King Piccolo, justice has been served!" Piccolo shouts as he begins stomping on Goku's body.

"You monster!" Tien shouts as he grips his fists in anger. Piccolo stops his assault on Goku upon hearing Tien's words.

An evil smile crosses Piccolo's face as he says, "With Goku out of the way, there is no one left who can stand up to me. The Age of Piccolo has begun!" Piccolo begins laughing again as he flies up into the air. He sets his sights upon Goku's friends. Even in his weaken state, he knows he is stronger than them.

Yamcha, Tien and Krillin prepare to fight Piccolo when Kami orders, "Kill me." This sudden declaration draws the attention of everyone, including Piccolo's. "Junior and I share a connected life. If I die, then so too shall Piccolo. Please, for the sake of the planet, one of you must kill me!" Kami pleads but Piccolo isn't about to let that happen.

"Not today old man!" Piccolo shouts as he fights several beams of energy into the Z Fighters. Bulma, Oolong, and Puar take off running while Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Master Roshi and Kami all throw their arms up to try and block the attacks.

Chi-Chi takes this moment of confusion and runs over to Goku's body. "Goku!" She cries as she throws herself on top of him.

Piccolo continues to hurl ki blasts at the fighters, before firing a blast from his mouth. The fighters, seeing the energy blast incoming, shatter as quickly as they can but it's no good. The blast connects with the ground and causes a decent size explosion. The force throws the fighters across the field with the shockwave even catching Bulma, Puar, and Oolong. Piccolo quickly locates the winded Kami and lands next to him. Kami looks up at Piccolo and growls at him, unsure as to what the villain is going to do.

Piccolo shows his fanged teeth as he smiles at Kami. Piccolo hits Kami across the face as hard as possible, knocking the old man out. The Z-Fighters begin to stand up just in time to watch Piccolo throw Kami over his shoulder. Piccolo flies up into the sky and looks at Goku's body. Chi-Chi is still crying as the Announcer has his hand on her shoulder for comfort. Deciding he doesn't want to leave a body, Piccolo quickly fires a blast of ki at Goku.

"Look out!" Krillin shouts as they watch the blast fly through the air. The Announcer sees the blast and runs away but Chi-Chi refuses to move. The blast engulfs Chi-Chi and Goku, incinerating them both. The fighters stare in horror and anger as Piccolo begins to laugh. He takes off into the air, leaving them behind.

"I can't believe he's gone," Krillin sadly says as he stares at the crater caused by Piccolo's attack. Master Roshi is beside him, also looking at the crater.

Tien grips his fist in anger as he says through clenching teeth, "And we did nothing but sit and watch."

"There was nothing we could have done," Yamcha admits, not liking the sound of his own words.

Krillin turns to Master Roshi and asks, "What do we do now?"

"Hmm," Is all Master Roshi has to say as he strokes his beard.

Bulma, who has rejoined the group, suddenly catches her fist with her hand as she says, "We gather the Dragon Balls and wish Goku back to life!"

"What if we can't?" Tien asks, still angry.

"We can! We got the Dragon Radar! It'll be easy!" Bulma says, trying to raise everyone's hopes. She refuses to quit, no matter what.

"What is Piccolo going to do now?" Yamcha asks as he looks off towards the direction Piccolo flew.

"He is going to unleash destruction upon the Earth. A dark age is coming," Master Roshi answers as memories of the days of King Piccolo flash through his mind.

"Not if we can bring Goku back!" Krillin says, agreeing with Bulma's plan. As long as he still draws breath, he isn't going to quit.

"Or...we put a stop to Piccolo now!" Tien shouts as he begins charging up. This sudden act takes everybody by surprise.

Master Roshi steps forward and tries to calm Tien down, "Don't be a fool, Tien! You can't beat Piccolo! We need to gather the Dragon Balls and wish Goku back."

"And what if we can't!? What if Piccolo hordes one? If we don't stop him now, thousands of innocents will die! He's injured, now is the time to strike!"

"Don't throw your life away man! Think of Chiaotzu," Yamcha adds, hoping to calm Tien down. However, the mentioning of Chiaotzu does not but anger Tien further.

"I am thinking of Chiaotzu!" Tien shouts before blasting into the sky.

"Well, he's dead," Oolong casually comments, which earns him a glare from the others.

"Should we go after him?" Yamcha asks, unsure of who to follow.

"Piccolo is too strong. We need Goku and if we follow Tien, the Earth is doomed," Master Roshi explains. He wishes they could go after Tien, who he knows is heading towards his death but he knows the importance of gathering the Dragon Balls.

After flying for several minutes, Piccolo sees Korin's Tower. He flies up the pole in the ground and swiftly arrives at Korin's Tower. He is greeted by the two who call it home; Korin and Yajirobe.

"I demand a senzu bean!" Piccolo orders, knowing that Korin keeps some in case of an emergency.

"We don't have any," The cat informs the villain. Korin is terrified but he is trying his best to hide his fear. Yajirobe, on the other hand, is not. He is cowering behind Korin.

"Give me a senzu bean," Piccolo demands as he holds his hand out towards Korin. A ball of yellow ki suddenly appears as Piccolo finishes his threat, "Or else I will blow you away."

"Do as you wish. I do not fear you," Korin defiantly states. He would rather die than live under Piccolo's rule.

Piccolo smirks at the cat's spirit before saying, "Then you will die." He drops the still unconscious Kami to the floor before charging more ki into his ball of energy. The ball of ki suddenly disappears and Piccolo dashes to Korin. Caught off guard by Piccolo's speed, Korin is powerless as Piccolo picks him up and hurls him over the ledge.

"Korin! You monster!" Yajirobe shouts. The death of his friend stirs up courage that Yajirobe didn't even know he had. He draws his Katana and charges at Piccolo, who stands still, unfazed by the charging human. Just as Yajirobe is within striking distance, Piccolo suddenly points his open palm in Yajirobe's face and fires a blast of ki. The energy instantly incinerates Yajirobe, leaving nothing but dust behind. Piccolo smirks as he lowers his hand.

He does a brief scan of the area for the senzu beans but sees nothing. He travels down the stairs and walks through a small archway. The inside of the tower has all the comforts one could ask for; a large, single bed pushed against the wall, a small kitchen, a box TV with rabbit ears and in the corner is a small, clay pot. A stalk, about three inches in height, grows from the center of the pot. Three, long, oval shape pods extend from the stalk. They are no bigger than an inch.

Piccolo walks over to the clay pot and rips off the pods. He cracks one of them open, revealing three, green beans inside. Piccolo chuckles before popping one into his mouth. He begins to chew the bean; which tastes horrible to Piccolo. He has nothing that he can compare the taste too, seeing as he only lives off of water.

He swallows the chewed bean and within seconds, he begins to feel the bean's effects. The bean restores his energy and heals his body back to perfect condition. Piccolo holds his fists out in front of him as he feels his energy return. Piccolo begins to crackle as the excitement of ruling the world finally starts to set in. He pockets the other pods before heading outside.

He swoops Kami up and throws him back over his shoulder. He flies a bit of a distance from Korin's Tower before turning around and facing the Tower. He thrust his palm out before grabbing his wrist with his other hand. He takes extra caution to make sure Kami doesn't fall from his shoulder. A ball of energy begins to form in the center of his palm. After reaching the size of a basketball, Piccolo shouts "Destructive Wave!"

A beam erupts from the ball and travels through the air. It quickly strikes the column in the center of Korin's Tower. Upon impact, the beam explodes, destroying the column and the surrounding columns. With nothing to support it, the top of the Tower crashes against the floor. Pieces of debris shoot out from the Tower, raining down to the ground. Piccolo looks with unsatisfaction at his failure to completely destroy the Tower. Deciding he will come back later and use more power next time, he looks straight up. High above the clouds is another circular platform. This one is called Kami's Lookout.

It doesn't take long for Piccolo to arrive at the Lookout.

Once his feet touch the ground, he is greeted by the Lookout's always faithful caretaker; Mr. Popo. "Oh no! Kami!" Mr. Popo says upon seeing his unconscious friend over Piccolo's shoulder. Piccolo looks at Kami with a smirk before knocking him off his shoulder. Kami hits the tile flooring of the Lookout with a thud but doesn't wake up.

"From this moment forward, I am the ruler of this planet!" Piccolo announces as he grips his fist in front of him. An evil grin forms across his face as Mr. Popo rushes to Kami's side.

"Not if I have anything to say about that!" A voice shouts from behind Piccolo. The statement interrupts Piccolo's gloating and causes him to turn around. Floating above the Lookout is Tien. His hands are together in the shape of a triangle and Tien is looking at Piccolo through the gap. "Kikoho!" Tien shouts.

"You can't stop m-" Piccolo begins to taunt but is swiftly interrupted by a beam of yellow energy quickly engulfs him. The force of the blast throws Mr. Popo and Kami off to the side. Tien thrust his combined hands two more times towards Piccolo, unleashing two beams in the process. The beams find their mark perfectly. Tien lowers his hands, hoping to himself that Piccolo was killed but he knows better. The beams craved a good size crater into the Lookout and in the center is Piccolo.

Piccolo soars out of the crater with amazing speed, surprising Tien. The Z-Fighter begins to move but is quickly slugged across the cheek by Piccolo. Piccolo unleashes a barrage of punches against Tien's fast and chest before flying back a little. His opponent still stunned from the attack, Piccolo kicks Tien in the chest, sending him reeling back. His onslaught not quite over, Piccolo stretches his arm to amazing lengths and grabs Tien by the ankle. Piccolo's arm begins to retract back to its original size before he whips Tien towards the Lookout. Tien collides hard with the Lookout. Piccolo takes a deep breath as he pulls his head back as he prepares another attack. Energy begins to build in his mouth before opens his mouth wide towards Tien. A beam of energy flies from Piccolo's mouth and slams into Tien. The beam explodes, throwing dirt and smoke into the air. Piccolo crosses his arms and smirks as he descends to the Lookout.

Battered and bruised, Tien refuses to stay down. He returns to his feet just as Piccolo lands on the Lookout. "You got spirit, I'll give you that. If you swear your eternal loyalty to me, I will let you live," Piccolo offers, hoping to gain a powerful ally.

"I will never join the likes of you!" Tien counters, not really surprising Piccolo.

Tien takes off running towards Piccolo and begins to unleash his own barrage of punches. Piccolo begins to dodge the incoming punches as the fight pushes Piccolo backward. As the edge gets closer and closer, Piccolo decides to end the fight. He grabs Tien's punch and rams his fingers through Tien's chest as he lets out a battle cry. A gasp of air escapes from Tien as Piccolo removes his hand from his chest. Tien drops to his knees and grasps his wound as blood begins to rush out of it.

A cruel smirk crosses Piccolo's face before he begins kicking Tien repeatedly. After hearing Tien yelling out in pain for several minutes, Piccolo finally stops. "I have had my fun with you," Piccolo taunts as he walks away from Tien. He has decided that he is going to let Tien's bleeding wound finish him off. He walks over to Mr. Popo, who has done nothing but stare in fear during the fight, and says, "It's time to start my reign."

That, was ten years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - The New Z Fighters**

"Tako! Tako!" A raven haired teenage girl calls out as she walks down a street in North City. The people of North City pay the girl hardly any attention as she continues to shout. To them, this scene is nothing out of the ordinary. It occurs at least twice a week, if not more.

The teenage girl's hair is long, reaching halfway down her back. As she walks, pulls a few loose strains of her hair back over her ear, away from her dark brown eyes. A single, defiant strain refuses to go behind her ear and falls back over her eyes. She is wearing an orange gi with a black undershirt peeking out along the sleeves and at the top. A black sash is tied tightly around her waist while dark blue boots finish off her outfit. The kanji for turtle, 亀, is sewn on the back of her gi. Her name is Rasha and she is one of the Z Fighters.

After visiting several of Tako's usual spots, Rasha decides to take into the air. She floats through the air, scanning the rooftops as she goes by. "His energy suppression has gotten considerable better," Rasha comments to herself as she continues looking.

Laying on the rooftop of one of the largest buildings, with his hands behind his head, is Tako. He has his eyes closed but he isn't sleeping. The teenager boy rarely wears his orange gi completely, choosing instead to just wear the orange pants and the black undershirt. His hair is cut short and his hair is going in every direction. He hears Rasha calling his name but he doesn't even move.

After several minutes of searching, Rasha finally spots Tako, or who she assumes is Tako. She swiftly descends down to the building.

"Hey Togarasha," Tako says, his eyes still closed.

She frowns at him before saying, "Don't call me by my full name." She shakes her head as her feet gently land on the cement roof. She looks down at Tako before looking out across the city. As the summer sun shines down over the city, Rasha makes a mental note about the scenery.

Buildings of all sizes spread out across the city. Dome buildings, built on tall, metal stalks are sporadically spread in between the skyscrapers. Towards the center is a large, gray dome with the words 'Capsule Corporation' written in large black lettering big enough to be seen on the other side of the city. Scattered throughout the city are almost a dozen metal rods. The rods are almost twice the size of any of the skyscrapers. Each rod has a thin antenna on top that is used to keep the barrier over the city. Rasha looks up at the light blue barrier that covers the city and sees several clouds lazily floating by on the other side. North City is surrounded by mountains, giving it a natural protection from Piccolo and his children. After the destruction of West City, Capsule Corp was relocated to North City. Since then, Bulma and the Capsule Corp scientist have been trying to find ways to protect the city against Piccolo and ways to defeat him. Constructing the shield was just one of the attempts to hold Piccolo at bay.

The barrier has been up for nearly three years now and has withstood countless attacks. For awhile, Piccolo's children; Banjo, Bugle, and Bell, launched attacks almost every single day but for the past several months...nothing.

"The view is nice up here," Rasha comments as she continues to look out at the cityscape.

"Uh huh," Tako replies as he continues to lay on the ground.

"You know Master Yamcha is going to start searching for us," Rasha comments as she turns to face Tako.

"There is nothing more I can learn," Tako states, confident in his abilities and powers.

"We still have a lot to learn. As long as Piccolo is still out there, we must keep training," Rasha scolds as Tako opens his eyes. He stands up and looks out across the city. He comes up here every so often to relax. They can still hear the city beneath them but it's only a faint noise. He walks over to his dark blue boots, that are a few feet from them and slides them on.

He looks up at the shimmering shield over the city and stares at the blue sky. A cloud that vaguely resembles a dinosaur slowly drifts by. A side effect of the shield is it increases the heat from the sun, raising the otherwise cold, mountainous city by five to ten degrees. North City is still cold though.

"Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if Piccolo would have been stopped?" Rasha wonders, as she occasionally does.

Tako grips his fists in anger at the thought of Piccolo's carnage. At all the innocent lives that were lost because of him. His power begins to build as his anger continues to increase. He was just a child when Piccolo's rampage began. He and his parents lived on a radish farm, several miles away from East City. His life was simple until Banjo paid them a visit when he was ten. He was nearly killed but survived thanks to the timely arrival of the Z Fighters. His parents, however, were not as fortunate.

"I'm tired of all this waiting around. All we do is train while Piccolo continues killing! What's the point of training if there isn't anything left to save?! I want to bring an end to this nightmare!" Tako shouts as a white aura flares up around him.

"Tako, you know Piccolo is too strong."

"Not for me! I'm the strongest fighter in the world!"

"If Goku couldn't do it-"

"Goku?! I'm tired of hearing about Goku! If he was so great, why did he let Piccolo win? Why didn't he stop him!" As Tako shouts, his aura continues to increase.

"Tako, I understand your frustration and anger but you have to think clearly about this. All we can do is make ourselves as strong as we can. It seems unfair now but once we defeat Piccolo, we will use the Dragon Balls to wish everyone back," Rasha explains in a soft voice, hoping to calm Tako down.

Tako prepares to say something else when they hear an explosion. Smoke begins to rise up from the far edge of the city. The smoke passes through the barrier with no opposition. The sound and smoke draw the attention of Tako and Rasha, causing Tako's aura to drop and fade.

"You ready?" Rasha asks Tako as she begins to float up into the air. Tako continues to grip his fists, obviously still mad before nodding and lifting into the air as well.

"Tonic, You idiot! I told you to watch how much explosive you use!" The leader of a gang shouts at his explosive 'expert'. A group of five criminals decided that today was a good day to rob a bank. The operation was going smoothly for them until Tonic used too much explosives and blew up part of the room the vault is in.

"But it made such an awesome explosion!" Tonic replies as he dances in his spot. After he finishes his little happy dance, he rushes off to join the other robbers in the lobby.

The Bank Of North City has a typical layout; a couple of counters with deposit and withdrawal slips are placed in the lobby while the teller line has four windows. The vault is behind the teller line, down a short hallway, and around a turn. A few desks and offices are spread throughout the building. At about this hour, they are usually occupied by workers, busily filing papers. Today, however, is different.

The robbers are all armed with automatic rifles, except for Tonic. He is wielding a pistol with a backpack full of explosives. Two of the robbers are holding the employees and customers hostage while the leader and the last robber are loading as much money as they can into three, large dufflebags. No one wants to try and be a hero. The citizens know help is on its way; just like always.

"Damn you Tonic! You burnt half the money!" The leader shouts just as the bank doors swing open. Everybody looks at the door, expecting one of the Z Fighters to have finally arrived. However, to everyone's surprise, it's a little girl.

The girl is no older than six or seven, with her long, greenish-blue hair braided together into a ponytail. She is wearing a pink dress that stops just below her knees. The words 'Capsule Corp' in black letters with a white border is sewn onto the center of her dress. In her left arm is a gray teddy bear, almost as big as she is. Blue, velcro sneakers, and white socks with a lace trim cover her feet. The lace is sewn into the sock a few inches below the top. The little girl looks completely out of place in the middle of a bank robbery.

The little girl says nothing as everyone stares at her. She looks over at the robbers and the hostages and seemingly unfazed by the rifles, begins to walk over to them. One of the robbers walks over to her and stares down at her coal black eyes.

"Little girl, are you lost?" The robber asks the girl as he kneels down to talk to her.

"Are you robbing this bank?" The little girl asks in a sweet, innocent voice.

The robber gives her a little smile before placing his hand on her head. "Run back to your parents and pretend you didn't see anything. You don't want to be a part of this," The robber warns, not wanting a little girl to be traumatized by the events happening around her.

The little girl lowers her head and her voice becomes more serious as she replies, "It's you who should run back to your parents."

"Wha?" The robber says as he stands up. He goes to take a step back but the little girl rams her fist into his stomach. An expression of shock and pain comes over his face as he bends over and grabs his stomach. He stumbles back a couple of steps before she uppercuts him in the chin, sending him up into the air a few feet. He hits the ground hard as she lands on her feet. She looks over at the other robber with a serious expression.

"What is she?!" Tonic shouts with a voice full of panic as he stumbles over his feet and lands on his butt.

"I don't know but she's dead!" The other robber replies as he prepares to fire his automatic rifle. The little girl straights her stance and waits for him to open fire. The robber aims down his sight and squeezes the trigger. The sound of the rifle unloading echoes off the bank's walls. The hostages scream and cover their heads as the robber tries to kill the little girl. The girl charges into the hail of bullets. Using incredible speed, the likes of which the robber has never seen, the girl avoids the bullets. She quickly closes the gap between them, jumps into the air and kicks him across the face. They both land at the same time; she lands on her feet while the robber hits the ground with his face.

"I-Impossible!" Tonic stutters, still on the floor, as he begins to back away from the girl carrying the teddy bear. She turns her head to look at Tonic but her attention is pulled away by the leader and the other robber entering the lobby. They heard the gunfire and came running.

"What is going on here?!" The leader shouts as he looks with shock at his two unconscious members. "I don't know who you think you are but you messed with the wrong people! Kill her!" The leader orders. They both raise their rifles up just as the little girl points her free hand at them. A small ball of blue energy appears in her hand and quickly grows into the size of a baseball.

"She's one of them!" The robber shouts as they both momentarily pause at the sight. Regaining their composure, they raise their rifles again but the little girl fires a beam of ki before they have a chance to shoot. The beam travels halfway to them before splitting in two. The beams hit the leader and the robber in the chest at the same time, throwing them backward. They hit the wall and their unconscious bodies slump to the ground. The little girl smiles at her victory, unaware of Tonic pulling a grenade out of his dufflebag.

"Die you freak!" Tonic shouts as he pulls the pin and tosses the grenade.

The little girl turns around just in time to see the grenade bounce against the ground once and into the air a few feet from her. She instinctively throws her arm over her face and closes her eyes. She feels someone wrap their arm around her waist and pick her up off the ground just as the grenade explodes. The little girl opens her eyes to find herself safely tucked under someone's arm. She looks up at the person's face and realizes that it's Tako.

At first, Tonic thought he got the little girl but when he notices Tako holding her, he realizes that it's time for him to escape. He gets up into a run and runs right into the arm of Rasha. Her arm collides with his neck, causing him to flip backward before hitting the ground. The hostages look around at the unconscious robbers before they slowly stand up and start cheering.

"Go Z Fighters!"

"Yay!"

"Thank you!

The little girl struggles to escape from Tako's grip but he continues to hold her tightly. "Put me down this instant!" The little girl orders but Tako doesn't obey.

"What do you think you are doing Stocking?" Tako asks as the little girl continues to wiggle.

"Saving the day! That what a Z Fighter does!"

"No, that's what we do," Tako replies as Rasha walks over to them. They can hear sirens pulling up in front of the bank.

Rasha places her hands on her knees and bends down to talk to Stocking, still wiggling in an attempt to escape. "What we do is dangerous. Think of how upset your mother and father would be if something happened to you?" Stocking says nothing as she crosses her arms and proceeds to pout.

"I could have survived that bomb," Stocking says out of the sound of her mouth.

Tako finally lets Stocking go just as police charge into the building. They point their guns at the Z Fighters before quickly recognizing them. The police fan out to check on the criminals as medics carrying stretchers rush into the bank.

"Thanks for the help Z Fighters," One of the police officers says as he gives them a thumbs up. Tako says nothing as he crosses his arms, still upset at Stocking. Rasha thanks the officer before turning her attention towards Stocking.

She waits for the officer to walk away before she begins talking, "You did do a good job Stocking, just next time, leave the dangerous stuff to us." Stocking continues to pout as Rasha talks to her. She knows they are right but that doesn't mean she wants to listen.

While Rasha is talking, Tako looks over at the clock hanging over the teller line. The clock's face reads '11:34'. Tako waits for Rasha to finish talking before asking, "Besides, shouldn't you be in school?"

"School is pointless! I'm already smarter than my teacher!" Stocking replies, her teddy bear still in a death grip. "I wanna be a hero! I wanna save the day!" Stocking shouts as she stomps her feet. Tako frowns at her fit but Rasha smiles.

Rasha gets down on her knees to talk to the girl eye to eye. "We aren't saying you can't be a hero. We are just saying that you need to wait until you are older is all. Then you can become a Z Fighter," Rasha explains, liking the girl's determination. Stocking continues to pout until finally giving up. She looks down at her feet as she kicks the smooth tile. Rasha smiles at Stocking before standing up and rubbing her head.

As Tako and Rasha talk to Stocking, another Z Fighter lands outside the bank. This Z Fighter is wearing an orange gi almost identical to Rasha, except it's more tattered and torn along the edges. The fighter has scars across his body, several up and down his arms and a few small scars across his face. A noticeable scar is across his left eye, permanently closing that eye. His short hair is solid black and cut very short and clean. Every strain stands up to a point and not a single piece is out of place.

"Is everything under control here?" The fighter asks, his voice strong but weary.

Several of the officers turn towards the newly arrived man before one of them answers, "Oh, Yamcha! Yes, your students took care of everything."

Yamcha says nothing as he looks over at the robbers being loaded into a white van. The lettering 'NCPD' is engraved along the side of the van. Yamcha knows it was Rasha and Tako who stopped the robbers but he says nothing to the officers. He enters the bank and quickly locates Rasha and Tako standing off to the side. He begins walking towards them when he notices the little girl. He stops in his tracks at the sight of his daughter in the bank. His expression takes on a more serious tone before he resumes his walk.

"Tako, Rasha, good job," Yamcha says, his sudden voice surprising to them. Stocking jumps at the sound of her father's voice. Tako and Rasha look over at their master as he stops in front of them. Yamcha looks right at Stocking, who refuses to look her father in the face. She stares down at the ground, knowing she is in trouble.

"It wasn't us who stopped the robbers. It was Stocking," Tako says as he jesters towards the girl.

Yamcha continues to stare at his daughter before letting out a sigh. He closes his eyes and rubs the bridge of his nose as he says, "Stocking, what have I told you?"

"But Daddy, I did it! I was careful and I didn't get hurt!" Stocking defends as she looks up at her father. Her eyes flash with her resolve. Tako and Rasha decided not to mention the whole grenade incident. While they can survive an explosion like that, they don't know if Stocking could and obviously nobody is going to test that.

"What if something did happen though? You need to stop taking these risks," Yamcha scolds.

"But Dadd-"

"Stocking, enough!" Yamcha shouts as he swipes his hand through the air in front of him. His daughter takes a step back as her father yells. He knows he sounds rough but he means well. He has already lost so much, so many people; he can't bear the thought of losing his daughter or his wife. To Piccolo or to common criminals.

Not a fan of seeing her Master and his daughter fighting, Rasha speaks up. "Master, if I may make a suggestion," Rasha's words draw Yamcha's attention away from his daughter. His stern look does not change, however. "Stocking has been fighting criminals and skipping school for almost a year now. Every time she is caught, you scold and punish her but next week she is back at it. This is something that is clearly important to her," Stocking nods at Rasha's words, hoping it will help convince her father. "However, she needs training. We all know you are busy, between all the training and making sure North City is well protected. While Stocking is strong for her age, she isn't ready to begin training alongside us. So my suggestion is, let me train Stocking."

Yamcha can not hide his surprise at Rasha's offer. The thought of someone else training his daughter has never crossed his mind. He never wanted his daughter to be a fighter but when she discovered her ki on her own, he knew he had to do something. He showed her the basics of ki control and flight and while he always promised that he would give her additional training, it never was a priority for him. He had hoped this was a phase, something she would grow out of or a cry for attention. However, Rasha is right. She is constantly getting into trouble, trying to stop a criminal or help someone in need.

After thinking the proposition over for a few minutes, Yamcha finally gives them his answer, "Fine." If it was anybody else other than Rasha, he would have instantly said no. Rasha was his first student and the first member of the new generation of Z Fighters and has proven herself time and time again as a strong, competent fighter.

"Alright!" Stocking shouts as she jumps into the air. A big smile of accomplishment crosses Rasha's face. She knows this wasn't an easy decision for Yamcha to make. He's trusting her and she is not going to disappoint him.

As the two girls celebrate, Yamcha lays down some rules, "However there are a few conditions. Rasha, you can't let your own training suffer and Stocking, you have to listen to everything Rasha tells you. No back talking or complaining." The two girls quickly nod at the requirements, eager to start the new training. Tako continues to remain silent, choosing to keep his opinion to himself. "I will leave the details of the training for you to figure out," Yamcha says before focusing is attention solely on Rasha. "You have to make sure her training is even. Don't try to teach her the Kamehameha without first making sure she has complete control of her ki," Yamcha warns, sounding like the caring father that everyone knows he is. Even if he doesn't get to show that side very often.

"Yes, Master. I will train her just like you trained us," Rasha words makes Yamcha a little uneasy.

"Er...train her better," He suggests as he remembers the early days of his teaching. He never had students before, and there was quite a bit of trial and error in the process. Rasha says nothing, she just smiles at her Master. Suddenly, a beeping sound begins to come from Yamcha's pants. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a circular device. No bigger then the palm of his hand, the device has a single, large button on its side. Most of the device is a screen and the words 'Incoming Call' is flashing across the center of it. Yamcha clicks the button and a real time image of Bulma appears on the device.

"Hey honey," Yamcha replies as a small smile begins to form at the sight of his wife. Bulma on the other hand, has no time for pleasantries.

"Yamcha! Where are you?! We have a problem!' Bulma shouts, her tone a mixture of panic and urgency. Her shouting draws the attention of the few police officers in the bank. The officers have spent the past several minutes setting up a crime scene and gathering evidence as the Z Fighters talked among themselves.

"Problem? What problem?" Yamcha asks as the muscles on his arms tense up. He knows only one thing would cause this type of reaction in his wife. Tako and Rasha both get ready to spring into action at the sound of Bulma's words.

"Something is approaching the city and it's moving fast!"

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES:**

Thank you for reading Chapter Two! I hope you enjoyed it and I do have more on the way!

What is approaching North City?

Are Tako and Rasha the only two new Z Fighters?

Will I be able to release chapters without a three-week hiatus?

Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - The Visitor**

Wasting no time, Yamcha, Tako, Rasha and Stocking all make their way to Capsule Corp.

Yamcha still hasn't decided if he should punish Stocking for her reckless actions. While his mind is on the mysterious visitor, he is also thinking about Rasha's promise to train Stocking. He hopes he is making the right decision. He knows that allowing her to train will eventually force Stocking into dangerous situations and put her life at risk. He also knows that she will continue to seek out danger regardless of what he says or does. It's just in her bloodline. From Yamcha's own days as a bandit to Bulma searching for the Dragon Balls at the age of sixteen, Stocking's parents have seen their fair share of peril. He just hopes his decision isn't going to force him to bury his daughter.

The Z Fighters touchdown on the cement sidewalk in front of the familiar domed building. A overhang extends from glass doors. The words 'Welcome' is written at the end of the overhang. They enter through the sliding glass doors and are greeted by the receptionist, Geoff. The receptionist desk sits against the wall and the lettering 'CAPSULE CORP' is hung behind the desk. Above the words is the famous Capsule Corporation symbol; A capital C with a lower case C inside. Two hallways are on either side of the receptionist desk. Scientist, mechanics, technicians and visitors wander in and out of the two hallways. A sign hangs above each hallway. The left hallway's sign reads, 'Visitor Area, Cafeteria, Garden' while the other hallway sign reads, 'Research and Development, Central Command, Yamcha's Dojo'.

"Hello everyone," Geoff says, just as cheery as he always is. No matter what is going on; be it rain, snow or shine, Geoff is always happy and upbeat.

Rasha and Stocking are the only two who acknowledge Geoff's hello. Yamcha and Tako say nothing as they walk towards the right hallway.

"Hello Geoff," Rasha says with a quick smile.

Stocking waves excitingly with both hands as she says, "Hiya Geoff!" Geoff waves back as all the fighters enter the hallway.

They pass by several more groups of people as they walk. Most of the people seem oblivious to the incoming danger; everyone is either talking among themselves or are reviewing information on their PDAs or tablets. As they get closer to the Central Command room, the people around them become more panicked. As people run pass them, all scrambling to get to the Command room, they overhear a conversation.

"Do you think it's Piccolo?" One scientist asks an older technician as they rush by.

"I hope not. I lived through the Destruction of West City. We are doomed if he breaks through..." They hear the technician reply just before getting out of range.

As they continue down the hallway, it begins to twist as it leads them to the back of the building. The amount of people running around drops down to almost nobody. They almost reach the Command room when they happen upon two scientists. One of the scientists is sitting on the floor, his back against the wall while the other one is kneeling beside him. The sitting scientist has his hands on his head and is looking like he is in the middle of a panic attack. The kneeling scientist has her hand on his shoulder and is trying to help him through his attack.

"Come on Yamato, everything will be okay," The scientist says in a comforting voice.

"No, we aren't Christina! Piccolo is going to kill all of us!' Yamato shouts as tears begin to fill his eyes. "Piccolo is going to destroy North City just like he did West City!"

Yamcha stops walking as he hears Yamato's shout. He looks over at the scientist and finishes listening to him before walking over to them. He looks down at Yamato and grips his fist in front of him. "I promise you, as long as I draw breath, I will protect North City," Yamcha's words draw the attention of both scientist towards him. "North City will not fall!"

Christina smiles at Yamcha's pledge but Yamato is still a wreck. He wipes his eyes before looking at Yamcha again. Yamato seems to pull himself together but tears begin to form in his eyes again. "But Yamcha, you couldn' stop the Destruction of West City. What hope do we really have?" Yamato asks as a single tear rolls down his face and his voice begins to shake again.

"You have us," Rasha declares as she takes a step forward. "We weren't much help when West City was attacked but we have been training hard ever since. The Z Fighters will make sure Piccolo's carnage is stopped!" Rasha's confident words seem to calm Yamato down.

Christina places her hand on Yamato's shoulder again and softly says, "You see? We have the Z Fighters. Nothing is going to happen!" Yamato takes a snivel as Christina talks. Yamcha's and Rasha's words seem to be working.

"Go home you two. Go be with your families," Yamcha orders as he jesters down the hall. Yamato and Christina can not hide their surprise at Yamcha's order. They say nothing as they bow and head off down the hall.

Christina stops in the middle of the hall and looks over her shoulder back at Yamcha. "Thank you," She whispers before catching up Yamato.

"I don't know why he was so upset. If it is Piccolo, I will stop him," Tako boosts with his unwavering confidence.

"If only it was that simple," Yamcha whispers as he looks down the hall at the running scientists. He was once like that, confident that he could save the day.

"Master!" A young, female voice calls out from behind them. They turn around and see a young girl run up to them. Walking a short distance behind her is a tall, fairly muscular man. They recognize the girl as being Ichigo and the guy as El; the last two members of the Z Fighters.

Ichigo is the youngest and newest member of the Z Fighters. Her most noticeable traits are her short, vibrant red hair and crystal clear blue eyes. She is wearing a light blue gi with a red sash tied around her waist. Her sash, unlike Rasha's and Yamcha's, has no ends hanging down. It appears to be more like a belt, than some cloth tied around her waist. The kanji, 亀 is sewn into the center of her gi.

El is the oldest and the tallest, having just turned 18 and stands six feet tall. He has no hair and soft green eyes. His outfit is completely different than the other Z Fighters. Instead of a martial art gi, his outfit more resembles armor. A black shirt and pants combo is under his red, leather armor. The armor is in pieces, held in place by straps. The leather armor has clearly seen battle, as several dozen marks and cuts are on the panels.

"Hello Ichigo," Yamcha says before looking over her head at El. "Hello El. What have you heard?"

El talks with a deep, rough voice as he answers his Master's question, "The same as you. Something is approaching North City."

"Let's stop wasting time and get to the Command room," Tako says, somewhat annoyed at all the interrupts.

The Command room is a large room filled with over twenty computers. Each row has three computers on each side with a walkway in the middle. Each row is a little bit higher than the next. Across from the door is a large viewscreen that fills the entire wall. On the screen is a map of the world. A blinking dot, quite some distance from North City is approaching the city very fast. Shortly after arriving, Bulma and Yamcha have installed radar towers in the areas surrounding North City. Well hidden, the towers allow them to detect anything or anybody miles away from the city. People run around the Command room, partly in a state of panic, as Bulma shouts at everyone. Standing at one of the computers, Bulma yells, "I need to know what that is!" to a group of technicians on the other side of the room.

"Yes, ma'am!" One of the technicians says as he keeps his eyes glued to his computer screen.

The Z Fighters walk down the stairs and towards Bulma as she points across the room. "I want the defense turrets online!" Bulma demands and quickly receives a confirmation of her request.

"We still don't know who or what it is yet?" Yamcha asks Bulma as he walks up to her.

Bulma glances at him before returning her eyes to the computer screen. "No, not yet. Right now, though, we have to assume it's hostile."

"Then let's stop standing around and go fight it," Tako states, seeing no point in being called to the Command room if they don't have any useful information.

"It could be a trap," Rasha points out but Tako continues to be stubborn.

"I can handle anything and anyone."

"This can't turn into another West City Tako!" El states, his tone a little sharper than normal. He feels Tako is being reckless, like always.

"At least I fought during the attack on West City," Tako counters before looking over at El and adding, "Where were you?"

Tako's remark angers El, like it always does. El takes a step forward and yells, "I was saving lives!"

"Tako, El, enough!" Yamcha orders. He is more concerned with the approaching object than their arguing. El and Tako say nothing more. They just exchange harsh looks before looking back at the large screen.

"Bulma!" A man in a lab coat shouts as he runs up the group. With long, unkempt brown hair, small glasses and a hunched over stance, nobody could mistake Mordechai. Mordechai is one of the leading scientists at Capsule Corp and one of the assistants to Bulma. He stops and looks at Yamcha. Yamcha feels that the look is one of disappointment, for what he isn't sure of. The stare goes on for a little longer than the Z Fighter would prefer before Mordechai finally turns his attention to Bulma.

"What is it Mordechai?" Bulma asks as she looks up at the viewscreen. The dot is now halfway to North City.

"It isn't Piccolo or any of his children! It's someone much weaker!" Mordechai informs the group as he pushes his glasses back onto his face.

The news gives Bulma some relief but it still doesn't answer the main question. "Who is it then?" Bulma asks as she looks back at Mordechai.

"I-I'm not sure," Mordechai studders before regaining his voice. "Whoever it is, they appear to be small. Five feet at the maximum."

The describe reminds Yamcha and Bulma of an old friend. Someone they haven't seen in years. They look at each other, both with a look of disbelief. "You don't think it's...?" Bulma asks, hoping that it is their lost friend and not an enemy.

"I don't know," Yamcha replies, not wanting to get his hopes up. He continues to think of the worst scenarios before turning around and heading for the door. "Z Fighters, let's go!" Yamcha shouts as the sliding doors open and he walks out into the hallway.

Tako, El, Rasha, and Ichigo waste no time in following Yamcha. However, a fifth person tries to go with them. Stocking follows closely behind Ichigo when her mother grabs her by the hand and pulls her back.

"Where do you think you are going, Stocking?" Bulma asks as she places her hands on her hip.

"To go help Daddy!" Stocking replies as she holds her chest out. She sees nothing wrong in her going with the Z Fighters.

"No, you are not! It's dangerous!" Bulma scolds Stocking before realizing something important. "Why aren't you in school?" Bulma asks Stocking, who quickly looks down at the ground.

Mordechai watches the mother and daughter interact and smiles before taking his glasses off and wiping them on his lab coat.

The Z Fighters fly out to the edge of town. The shield covering the city extends a few miles outside of the city, to allow for additional growth. Pressed against the bottom of the shield is a small, windowless building. The Z Fighters land in front of the building's large, sliding doors. They approach the doors and notice a small communicate panel build into the wall next to it. A red button is below the speaker and a thin antenna is installed on the roof of the building.

Yamcha pushes the little red button and begins talking into it, "This is Yamcha, open the doors."

After an eerie silence, a scruffy voice on the other side answers back, "What's the password?"

"Password?" Yamcha repeats, unaware of needing any password. He pushes the red button again, "I am Yamcha of the Z Fighters. Open this door."

More silence follows Yamcha's order, this one lasting longer than the previous one. Finally, the scruffy voice speaks again, "I'm sorry sir, but without a password, we can not open the doors."

"We don't need you to open the doors, we can just blast our way in!" Tako suggests as he walks up to the door. He points his hand at the door amidst the other Z Fighters telling him to stop.

"Enough Tako," Yamcha orders and Tako finally listens. "Who set up the password?" Yamcha asks the intercom, still unaware of any password.

"Blow it up. That's your answer to everything isn't it Tako? Blow it up so anybody can come through the shield," El complaints as Tako rejoins the group.

"Better than being a coward," Tako snipes as Rasha rolls her eyes at the petty exchange. Ichigo grabs El's pant leg, clearly bothered by the hostilities from the two Z Fighters.

The intercom remains silent for much longer than before. Finally, after several minutes, the voice returns. "It was Bulma, sir."

"Bulma?" Yamcha repeats, surprised to hear that his own wife set up the password. Yamcha pulls out the circular communication device from his pocket and pushes the button. The screen turns on, revealing a couple of options. The device can do stuff like make calls, act as a calculator and detect nearby Dragon Balls. Other versions can play music but Yamcha's version can not. He selects the 'call' option and that takes him to a different screen. On this new screen, it displays a list of names. Yamcha swiftly locates the contact named 'Babe' and selects it. A picture of Bulma pops up with the words 'Calling' in big, bold letters appearing across her picture. The phone continues to ring and after the seventh or eighth ring, Bulma picks up. The screen dissolves to reveal a real-time image of Bulma, back at Capsule Corp.

"What is it Yamcha? Do you know who is approaching us?" Bulma asks as Yamcha can see the occasional scientist running around in the background.

"Well...actually..." Yamcha stutters, somewhat upset and embarrassed at the whole situation. "I can't get through the door."

At first, Bulma's eyes grow big at Yamcha's words before lowering into a look of disappointment. "You forgot the password, didn't you?"

"I forgot the password," Yamcha softly admits as he looks away. He hears Bulma sigh before he looks back at his wife.

"We agreed that we would make the high-security clearing password something we would easily remember and you are telling me you forgot it?!" Bulma shouts before closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Wait...isn't it your sister's name?" Yamcha suggests, the term 'high-security clearing' jogging his memory. They had the conversation one night at dinner. Bulma was talking about work, like she always did. It started with her talking about some sort of agreement with a fellow doctor located near North City before going into matters of security. That's when Bulma suggested coming up with a password to protect some of the most sensitive and dangerous stuff.

Bulma opens her eyes in surprise at her husband's suggestion. "Yes, that's correct Yamcha."

A small smile forms on Yamcha's face at his success. He prepares to say something when Stocking's voice comes through the communication device. "Is that Daddy? Hi Daddy!" Stocking shouts as she jumps up and down behind Bulma.

Yamcha smiles at his daughter as he waves to her. Bulma can not help but smile at her family before saying goodbye to Yamcha. Yamcha turns off his communicator device and places it back into his pocket. Right as Yamcha puts his communicator device away, he realizes he doesn't actually know Bulma's sister's name. He has never actually met her before and Bulma rarely mentions her. The last time Bulma heard from her was shortly after Piccolo's rise to power.

Yamcha decides not to call Bulma back and attempt to brave her anger. He knows the name, he just has to remember it. Yamcha pushes the intercom's red button and says, "Is the password...Leggings?"

"No," The scruffy voice replies.

"Is it Bra?"

"No."

"Is it Lena?"

"No."

The Z Fighters watch as their master struggle to get through the door. Ichigo lets go of El's pant leg before looking up at him and asking, "Do you think it's one of Piccolo's children?"

"I don't know. Mordechai said they were short and weaker than Piccolo or his children but maybe Piccolo spawned another child," El explains as Ichigo opens and closes her hands repeatedly.

"I-I'm scared," Ichigo whispers to El as she struggles to keep herself from shaking. Ichigo has never seen actual combat yet. The only time she has ever fought were in training matches. She was born in North City and always felt useless whenever she would watch the news reports about Piccolo's mayhem. She wanted to do something, to somehow help and she got her chance when the Z Fighters relocated to North City. Yamcha was reluctant to take on someone so young but her determination changed his mind. Ichigo never thought she'd be so nervous right now. She looks at El, Tako, and Rasha and none of them appear to be nervous. She looks at her shaking hands before clenching them into a fist.

"It's okay to be scared. We are all scared," El whispers back to Ichigo, hoping to help her. "Just remember your training and you will be fine." Ichigo nods nervously at El's words as she continues to try and calm down the circus that is in her stomach.

Yamcha lets out an aggravated sigh as he bends over, his arms dangling. "Think Yamcha. What is Bulma's sister's name?" Yamcha says out loud to himself, hoping to stir up some memories. He lightly hits himself in the head as he tries to remember something. He remembers Bulma's sister as having blond hair, was a science fiction author and talked about some sort of 'alien' police officer named Kajo or Jako or something. Yamcha always assumed it was just a character in one of her books. As the frustrating situation begins to get to him, he can feel his anger rising. "Maybe I should have let Tako blow up the door," Yamcha mentions to himself before finally remembering the name. He presses the intercom button again and speaks with a confident and proud tone as he says, "The password is Tights."

Yamcha's words are met with silence. He takes his finger off the button as he starts to worry that maybe, that wasn't the answer.

The voice on the intercom finally returns after a few moments and says, "That is correct."

Immediately after the scruffy voice says that they begin to hear a metallic grinding and whirling sound as the large doors open. The Z Fighters can't help but be a little shocked by what they see. Through the door is a short, metal hallway that leads to a snowy, somewhat rocky area outside the shield. No people, no equipment, just a hallway.

Anticipating their confusion, the voice on the intercom returns, "That is correct, we are not actually in the building. We just monitor it from a safe location."

Yamcha wastes no time and begins to walk down the hall to the outside world, his students shortly behind him. Once everyone enters the hallway, the doors begin whirling and grinding as they slide shut. Just before the doors close completely, the voice over the intercom says, "Good luck Z Fighters."

Large rocks are scattered around the area, some are sharp and jagged while others are smooth, perfect for sitting down. At least four inches of snow cover the land. The Z Fighters spread out; Yamcha continues to stand in the middle of the area, while the others find rocks to sit on. However, They keep their senses sharp. They do not want anybody or anything getting the drop on them.

"Master, do you know who is coming?" Rasha asks Yamcha as she sits down on a flat rock.

"I'm not sure. Before the rise of Piccolo, we were friends with a guy named Krillin. A brave warrior, he would always fight and stand up for what is right. A couple years before the destruction of West City, Krillin began roaming the world, trying to find allies and ways to defeat Piccolo. Bulma and I actually thought he was eventually killed but if Mordechai's report is correct, we could be wrong," Yamcha finishes explaining before looking over at El. "If I remember, you know Krillin, don't you El?"

"Yes. I once traveled with him for several months. He has a joke for almost every situation, no matter how bad it gets. Just like Yamcha said, he always stands up for what is right," El explains as he remembers those few months. Krillin taught him a lot, not just some techniques but also about helping others and showing mercy. He was Goku's best friend and Krillin had explained that Goku always believed in giving people second chances. Krillin continues that belief and taught that to El.

Yamcha resumes talking, his tone becoming more serious. "However, do not let your guard down. We could be wrong and it could be a new child. Piccolo should have replaced the one you killed by now," Yamcha looks over at Rasha as she remembers her fight against Guit back at West City.

Several minutes pass before they begin to sense the approaching person. "Here we go," Yamcha says as he looks at the others. The Z Fighters all stand up, ready to fight whoever this is. Off in the distance, they see a light blue aura in the sky. The aura is leaving a temporary streak across the sky as it flies closer. They can barely make out some of the features of the person, though. Black hair and green clothes are all they can see for sure. Halfway to them, the aura disappears and the person begins tumbling down towards them. The person lands on bended knees in the snow before standing up straight.

The short man has bushy, black hair and is wearing a green gi with a long sleeve, light purple shirt underneath it. A dark red sash is tied tightly around his waist and the ends hang down to his thighs. Blue boots, now buried in snow, finish off his outfit. His gi has no kanji or symbols anywhere on it. His most noticeable trait, however, is his lack of a nose.

"K-Krillin?" Yamcha asks as he is unable to hide his amazement at seeing his old friend again. All along he was hoping it was Krillin but he knew better than to hope.

Krillin waves his hand across the air in front of him as he says, "What's up everybody!?" before flashing them a big, shiny smile.

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES:**

Well, that's Chapter 3. Thank you for taking the time to read this story and my chapter.

Krillin has returned!

But why?

Does he know something?

Has he found something?

Find out in the next chapter of Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Krillin's Request**

Yamcha and the Z Fighters escort Krillin back to Capsule Corp, to reunite with Bulma and to hear his story out.

"It really is you, isn't it?" Bulma asks as she walks around Krillin. She can hardly believe that after all his time in the outside world, that he is still in one piece.

"Yep, it's me," Krillin replies with a smile. Bulma continues to examine Krillin before stopping in front of him. Without any warning or provocation, Bulma slaps Krillin across the face. The sound of the slap fills the Command room, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. The Z Fighters stare in disbelief at the sudden slap.

"That's for making me think you were dead!" Bulma yells as Krillin rubs his cheek. A red, throbbing palm print is visible on his face. Once again, without any signs, Bulma grabs Krillin and hugs him tightly. She releases him before telling him, "That's for not being dead."

A soft smile forms on Yamcha's face at his wife's reaction. Her unpredictability is something that he finds so attractive about her. One moment she'll be calm and the next she's throwing a wrench at him. It's never a dull moment.

"Sorry that you missed Stocking. She's in school right now but I know she'll be excited to see her Uncle Krillin," Bulma says with a smile but her statement just confuses Krillin.

"Stocking?" Krillin asks, acting like he has never met her before.

"Um...our daughter?" Bulma says, somewhat disoriented by Krillin.

"Your daughter? Oh yeah! Your daughter!" Krillin replies as he stops rubbing his face. Judging by the way he sounds, Bulma knows Krillin has forgotten all about Stocking.

Krillin begins looking around the Command room, almost as if he is looking for someone. "Where is Master Roshi? I expected him to be here," Krillin asks before a devilish smiles forms on his face. "Or is he too busy peeking through bedroom curtains and reading his magazines?" Krillin begins to laugh at the thought of his old master, lounging in his beach chair, giggling at the scantily clad women in his magazines.

No one else is laughing or smiling.

Tako, Rasha, and El look away while Yamcha's stops staring at Bulma. His smile turns into a look of sadness. Bulma hangs her head at Krillin's remark before answering his question, "Master Roshi is dead."

The news hits Krillin hard, forcing him to take a step back. "B-But how?" He mutters, unable to accept the outcome.

El steps forward, having witnessed the event with his own eyes. "It was during the destruction of West City..." As he talks, he remembers back to that faithful day.

"Go El, get out of here!" Master Roshi shouts to a younger El. They are standing in the ruins of a building that was destroyed by a redirected ki blast. High above them, they can see Yamcha and Tako losing to Piccolo and Bell.

"But Master Roshi! I can help!" El says as he grips his fist in anger. While the others fought, El tried to get as many people as he could out of the city. As the fight against Piccolo and his children continued to intensify, it became clear that they needed El's help.

Master Roshi looks over his shoulder at El and smiles before saying, "Survive El. Go and survive. Get stronger and avenge me." Roshi looks down at some nearby rumble after he finishes talking. His life begins to quickly replay in his head as a smile forms on his face. Having made peace with the inevitable, Roshi turns his attention back to the battle. El looks up just in time to see Bell fire a large blast as Tako charges through the air. Yamcha rushes forward, grabs Tako and spins around, allowing the blast to hit him in the back. Yamcha lets out a scream that echoes across the ruined city. The blast pushes Yamcha through the air and he crashes into a skyscraper. Bell begin forms a ball of energy to finish off his foes but Master Roshi is not about to let that happen.

"GO!" He shouts before holding his hands up towards the sky. He brings the base of his palms together before pulling his hands back and preparing his most famous attack. "Ka...me...ha...me..." As Roshi chants, a ball of blue ki appears in between his palms. The bright light draws the attention of Bell and Piccolo, who both look down at their new foe. "Ha!' Roshi shouts as he thrusts his palms up towards the sky. A beam of ki erupts from his hand and quickly travels towards Bell.

"...He was no match for Piccolo and Bell. However, his sacrifice was what allowed us to escape," El finishes retelling the events as Krillin stares at his shoes and grips his fists.

"I can't believe...Master..." Krillin whispers, upset at himself for not being there.

"What brings you to North City?" Yamcha asks, deciding they have spent enough time on that grim subject.

Krillin looks up at Yamcha before remembering the purpose of his visit. "I need to talk to you and Bulma..." Krillin pauses and looks over at the other Z Fighters before adding, "Alone."

"I don't like this," Tako complains as the other Z Fighters and himself have relocated to the Brief's living room.

The living room is on the second floor of the Capsule Corp. building. The Brief's living room is a frequent stop for the Z Fighters. A large, light blue, half circle couch is in the center of the room with a purple, rectangle ottoman in front of the couch. A large, box television is on top of a simple entertainment center that is pushed against the wall across from the couch. A sliding door is several feet from the couch and it leads to a small patio. The kitchen and dining room fit comfortably in the corner of the room. The television is rarely on, seeing as there is only one channel; WDNC 7. The local station, it mainly plays music but has a news program every day at six pm. El and Ichigo are sitting on the couch, while Rasha is rummaging through the fridge. Tako is out on the patio, leaning against the railing. He is looking out at the city, as he likes to do.

El leans back against the couch and looks through the opened sliding door at Tako. "Krillin, Yamcha, and Bulma have been friends for years. I'm sure whatever they are talking about, there is a reason why they are doing it alone," El explains but Tako continues to keep his back towards him.

"He's right you know," Rasha adds before taking a big bite out of an apple. She chews for a few seconds before swallowing and adding, "Besides, I'm sure Yamcha will tell us whatever they talk about anyway."

"I still don't like it," Tako says before getting up from the railing. He turns around and enters the living room as he continues, "We haven't heard anything from Krillin in years and now he just suddenly reappears? How has he been able to survive in the outside world without Piccolo and his children noticing? We are Z Fighters too, so why are we excluded from the conversation? No, this all seems too odd."

"I know Krillin. He's a good guy and we can trust him," El argues back. Rasha, after finishing the apple in just three bites, has returned to the fridge in her search for more food.

"I agree with Tako," Ichigo perks up. Her words shock the others. She rarely speaks up during discussions and it's even rarer for her to agree with Tako. Noticing everyone's looks, Ichigo stutters as she explains, "I-I mean...um...as far as we know, w-what's left of the human race lives here in North City. It isn't likely that he's been living with some survivors since Piccolo and his children have been hunting everyone for years now. Krillin is probably s-strong but almost every known fight between the Z Fighters and Piccolo have ended in disaster or a lose. Yet, Krillin has been able to survive. How?" The room remains silent after Ichigo finishes talking. El and Tako begin to think on the subject as Rasha steps away from the fridge, her arms full of food. She walks and dumps her food onto the table. The noise draws everyone's attention as they watch three oranges roll towards the edge. Rasha quickly dives and catches the fruits before they hit the ground.

"Sorry," She says before picking up a chunk of ham and taking a bite out of it.

"I still trust Krillin..." El says, returning the room's attention back to the topic at hand. "However, even I must admit that the odds are not in Krillin's favor."

Krillin, Bulma, and Yamcha relocated to Bulma's office, which is on the third floor. The office is small and simple, not something you would expect the President of a corporation to have. It has a wooden desk with two, dark red armchairs in front of it. A black rug with the Capsule Corp. symbol on it is spread out under the desk and chairs. A dark green bookshelf is to the left of the desk. Scientific and Business related books line the shelves. A row of medium size windows is behind the desk, allowing a decent view of the city. A pair of long, brown curtains hang over the windows but they are currently pulled back. A ceiling fan, currently spinning on its medium setting, is in the center of the ceiling. Bulma's desk is a mess; with papers, folders, and books scattered about. The papers have a mixture of designs, schematics, and notes written on them. Some of the papers look hastily scribbled on while others have a more focused look to them. The folders are reports from various different departments. Most of them are from Research and Development but a couple of them are from Accounting and one is labeled 'City Development'. The books also cover different subjects, from biology to scientific theories to business. A name plate with the words 'President Bulma' engraved on it sits on the corner of her desk. She spends little to no time in her office, preferring to be in one of the labs instead, working on a new project or improving an old design.

Bulma sits at her desk with Yamcha standing beside her. Krillin sits in one of the armchairs in front of the desk. Krillin looks around the room before commenting, "Wow Bulma, this is a nice office. President huh? Congratulations!" Just as the words leave Krillin's lips, he realizes what must have happened for Bulma to become president of Capsule Corp. He begins waving his hands in front of him as he frantically apologizes, "I-I didn't realize Bulma! I'm sorry about-"

"We got a few questions for you," Bulma interrupts, not wanting to hear another 'I'm sorry for the death of your father'.

Krillin stops waving his hands and lowers them before saying, "I figure you do. My sudden appearance is no doubt very shocking."

"How have you managed to survive in the outside world for this long?" Yamcha asks, just like his students, he knows how difficult that is. Back when West City was still standing, Piccolo was more interested in finding the Dragon Balls so it was easier for someone to stay under his radar. After the Z Fighters managed to retrieve and hold on to the Four Star Dragon Ball, he started focusing on exterminating everything.

"It hasn't been easy. Piccolo has been destroying everything and anyone who won't bow to him. I have had more close calls than I care to remember."

"Bow to him? Why would anyone bow to him?"

"I'm not sure. He's been giving people a choice lately, either bow to him or be destroyed. His followers live in what was once the Sacred Land of Korin and worship Piccolo like a god. At least, that's according to the rumors."

"Well, he is Kami's other half," Bulma states. She's not about to view Piccolo as a deity but she figures that's what he is trying to accomplish.

"So he's creating a cult?" Yamcha asks, finding the whole situation to be strange. "Piccolo has spent the past ten years wiping out all life. Why now, all of a sudden, is he concerned about being worshiped?"

"Maybe he realized how boring it would be if there was no more life on Earth," Bulma theorizes.

"I'm not sure either," Krillin replies before lowering his voice to that of a whisper. "Is the Dragon Ball still safe?" Bulma and Yamcha both nod but they decide not to reveal it's location.

"Where is it?" Krillin asks, almost in a demanding tone, something that is uncharacteristic of Krillin.

Bulma shoots him a glare before answering, "It's safe. Don't worry about it."

The Four Star Dragon Ball is built inside a vault, underneath the Capsule Corp building. Only Bulma and Yamcha have access to it through a series of voice and DNA locks. While Bulma and Yamcha one day hope to give the new Z Fighters access to the vault, for now, their exclusive access was a necessary precaution. The vault is also protected by a smaller, more powerful barrier, similar to the one around North City.

"What about the other Dragon Balls? Have you managed to get any of them?" Bulma wonders, figuring the answer is no but she still holds onto hope. Krillin says nothing, he just lowers and shakes his head.

"From what I have heard, Piccolo still keeps the remaining six on the Lookout."

"I'm not surprised. We are lucky that we managed to hold onto the Four Star for as long as we have," Yamcha comments as he remembers all the trouble they went through in their attempt to gather the Dragon Balls.

They began their search shortly after Piccolo killed Goku. They figured it would be easy, they would gather the Dragon Balls and wish Goku back to life. Once wished back, Goku would be able to kill Piccolo. It started off good too; with them quickly finding the Four Star, Seven Star, and One Star Dragon Balls. However, Piccolo and the Z Fighters soon began to juggle the Dragon Balls back and forth. The Z Fighters would gather three, Piccolo would take two from them. They would manage to get one back but Piccolo would find another. They never even got close to having all seven and after losing Chiaotzu, the Z Fighters decided it was best to protect the one they had. Yamcha and Bulma know that once they find a way to defeat Piccolo, they will use the Dragon Balls to wish everyone back.

"Have you encountered any of our allies or maybe find some new ones?" Yamcha inquiries, always on the lookout for any chance to grown the Z Fighter's roster.

"I have and that's actually why I'm here," Krillin says before looking up at them. "I have found Korin."

The very mention of Korin shocks both Bulma and Yamcha. They remain speechless before Bulma finally asks, "Korin is alive?! But how? We were all pretty sure he was killed by Piccolo when he took over the Lookout."

"I'm not sure yet but I have seen him. However..."

"However, he is being held hostage and you need our help to rescue him," Yamcha finishes Krillin's sentence, already seeing where his friend is going.

"Korin would be a great assist to us. He could help train the new Z Fighters and maybe even grow Senzu Beans again," Bulma suggests, remembering how helpful the Senzu Beans have been in the past. She tried growing her own but all her experiments failed and they ran out years ago.

"Yeah. With his training, I'm sure he will make the Z Fighters stronger! Just like how he made us stronger," Yamcha nods at Krillin's statement. While he knows they are all stronger then Korin, Yamcha believes that Korin has a few tricks that he didn't pass on.

"Who is holding him hostage, though?" Bulma wonders, not seeing how there could be anybody with enough organization and strength to hold Korin.

Krillin says nothing as he returns to looking at the floor. Yamcha and Bulma exchange looks before Krillin answers them. "Launch." The mention of their old friend's name causes Bulma to stand up and Yamcha to take a step forward.

"Launch?!" Bulma and Yamcha repeat. They never thought they would hear that name again. They lost contact with Launch a year after Piccolo's victory at the Tournament and they assumed she was eventually killed.

"How on earth did Launch survive all this time?!" Yamcha asks, not understanding how Piccolo managed picked off the Z Fighters with ease yet a regular human managed to escape.

"I'm not sure but something happened to her. She's now permanently in her blonde state and is the leader of this small group of people. They call themselves Launch's Resistance. They are trying to fight back against Piccolo's onslaught."

"But Launch is our friend. Why wouldn't she want to help us?"

"Launch is different now...she's friends with nobody. Last time I visited her, it didn't end well," Krillin explains before lifting up his shirt, revealing a nasty burn that travels across his left side.

"So you are proposing a rescue mission?"

"Yes. I want to try and retrieve Korin peacefully but if it breaks out into a fight again, I'm going to need some strongest allies on my side."

"I can't go so how about-"

"Tako and Rasha," Krillin orders, again in a demanding tone. Yamcha and Bulma have taken note of his more aggressive personality and are not sure what to make of it. He catches his stern tone and quickly lightens his voice. "I mean, from what I could sense, they are the strongest."

Yamcha thinks on Krillin request before coming up with an alternative. "Take Rasha and El."

"Isn't El weaker then Tako though? I don't think you realize-"

"El is marginally weaker than Tako but without studying them, you would never be able to know that. El is more likely to think a situation through while Tako will charge in, ki blasts flying. Given how delicate the situation is, I believe you will benefit from having two clear and calm headed fighters." Yamcha explains but it's clear Krillin doesn't like the suggestion. He doesn't push the issue, however.

Krillin shrugs his shoulders as he says, "Yeah, I guess you are right." Krillin springs to his feet before adding, "Thank you Yamcha. When we get back, maybe we can have a little match? I mean, it's been a while since we last fought back at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. I bet you know some new moves huh?"

Yamcha and Bulma look at Krillin with confusion before Yamcha replies, "Krillin, we never fought in the Tournament. I lost to Kami, remember?"

Realizing his mistake, Krillin quickly backtracks and says, "O-Oh, I meant when we were training for the Tournament!"

"Hmm," Yamcha says to himself just as Bulma suggests, "Let's go deliver the news to the others."

The three adults travel to the living room and the Z Fighters listen to Krillin's plan to rescue Korin.

"I know it doesn't sound very solid, but it's the best chance we got," Krillin finishes saying as the room falls silent as the Z Fighters think on the news.

Tako gets up from leaning against the wall and takes a step forward. "I want to go," He demands.

"No," Yamcha sharply replies. He knows Tako only wants to accompany Krillin for a chance to fight Piccolo and he's not about to let his student carelessly toss his life aside. That's another reason why he wants Krillin to take El instead. Tako says nothing as he gives Yamcha a look of disappointment.

Rasha, who has managed to eat all the food she got from the fridge, is finishing up some instant noodles when she asks, "When do we leave?" She is interested in seeing the outside world, or what's left of it anyways.

"Tomor-" Bulma begins to say but is interrupted by Krillin.

"Right now." Everyone looks at Krillin with surprise at his urgency. "Launch's Resistance only moves at night. If we wait until tomorrow, we will be wasting a lot of time. If we leave now, it'll be night by the time we arrive." Rasha and El both look at Yamcha and Bulma, the two teenagers waiting for them to say something.

"How do you intend to find them?" Yamcha asks, somewhat concerned at Krillin's request.

"I picked up a rumor a few days ago that Launch's Resistance would be traveling near the remains of Central City. From there, we should be able to pick up some clues," Krillin explains before looking at Rasha and El. "Do you two have any tracking skills?"

"A little," Rasha replies but El shakes his head.

"It'll have to do. Let's get you two ready," Bulma says, her tone suggesting that she isn't a fan of leaving so suddenly but she understands why. Krillin and Bulma exit the living room and Rasha and El start to follow them but are stopped by Yamcha.

"Keep an eye on Krillin," Yamcha whispers to his two students. "Something is odd about him."

"Odd?" El asks, having noticed nothing strange from Krillin.

"I can't say exactly how I know but be careful and keep your guard up. Trust only each other. There is more to his story than he is telling us," His students nod their heads at Yamcha's request. Having nothing more to warn them about, Yamcha lets them catch up to Krillin. Yamcha turns his attention towards Tako and Ichigo. Ichigo is still sitting on the couch while Tako has his arms crossed and is leaning against the wall.

"We need you here Tako," Yamcha explains but Tako continues to frown at him.

"I'm stronger than El, I should go with them in case anything happens."

"That's why I need you here. We are going to be down two fighters. If something happens here, I'm going to need your help," Yamcha explains before focusing his attention of Ichigo. She is staring down at her knees, a frown on her face. Ichigo has always felt like she isn't much help, seeing as she is the weakest and less experienced of the Z Fighters. Yamcha walks over and sits down next to her before placing his hand on her shoulder. He tilts his head so he can get a better view of her face before reassuring her, "I'm going to need you too Ichigo."

"What good can I do?" Ichigo softly asks.

"You can do a lot Ichigo. You are a Z Fighter. That makes you a very important part of our team and to North City. If we were to come under attack, I know you would stand up against whatever foe, no matter the odds," Yamcha's words manage to lift her spirit up a little.

She looks over at her master and asks, "You think so?"

"I know so," Yamcha replies with no hesitation or doubt in his voice. Yamcha stands up before suggesting, "We can do some training after El and Rasha leave." Ichigo nods her head quickly at the suggestion but Tako continues to stay quiet. Yamcha looks over at Tako and asks, "Would you care to join us?"

Tako and Yamcha stare at each other for a few moments before Tako finally replying, "Sure."

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

Thank you for reading Chapter 4!

What awaits Krillin, Ichigo and El outside the barrier?

Is Yamcha's suspicion about Krillin correct?

Find out on the next chapter of Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - Master VS Student**

"I packed some food and medicine in these backpacks," Bulma explains as she hands a backpack each to El and Rasha. Everyone is standing on the front lawn of Capsule Corp as El, Rasha and Krillin prepare to leave. "It's only enough supplies for a couple days though."

"We should be good," El says as he grabs his backpack. He swings it onto his shoulders before making the comment, "Assuming Rasha doesn't eat everything." Rasha chuckles and smiles at El's remark. Her voracious appetite is a common joke among the four friends.

Yamcha walks over to Krillin and looks down at his friend. He still can't shake the strange feeling that something isn't quite right with Krillin. "You make sure to bring them back alive," Yamcha orders, which earns him a big grin from Krillin.

"Don't fret pal. I'll make sure nothing happens to them," Krillin answers back as he gives Yamcha a thumbs up. Yamcha smiles as he returns the jester.

"You are going to be okay out there, right?" Ichigo softly asks Rasha. She knows what is out there and is scared that neither of them is going to return.

Rasha places her hand on Ichigo's head before answering, "Of course! El and I can handle anything!"

El says nothing as he watches the girls interact. His stomach is doing cartwheels and he is trying his best to look as calm as possible. He turns his attention over to Krillin and Yamcha and recalls Yamcha's warning. Did Piccolo get to Krillin or is there another enemy, trying to also take over the world? El looks at everyone and notices that Tako is missing. He starts looking for the other Z Fighter and sees him standing a little bit behind Bulma. The two warriors lock their sights on each other before Tako nods his head. It's a small nod and El knows what it means. It's Tako's way of saying be safe. El nods back just as Krillin asks, "Are we ready?"

"Yep," Rasha answers as she adjusts the backpack's straps on her shoulder.

"Yes," El calmly replies as the activity in his stomach increases.

The three of them lift up into the air and they continue to climb higher as Bulma shouts, "If you find anything useful, bring it back!" Rasha waves goodbye as white auras form around them. They blast off in the direction of the exit. A small tail extends from their auras as they quickly travel across the sky.

Everyone continues to stand on the front lawn and watch the three auras until they are out sight.

"I hope they are going to be okay," Ichigo comments after the slightly long silence.

Bulma walks over to Ichigo and tells her, "Of course they will. They are strong and resilient. Plus Krillin has been on the outside for years. He knows what he is doing."

"For now, all we can do is wait...and train," Yamcha comments as he turns around and starts walking towards the front doors of the domed building. Ichigo and Tako know that's their cue.

The Z Fighters leave Bulma, who looks back up at the sky. Clouds pass overhead as a warm breeze gently blows across the lawn. Suddenly, Mordechai rushes through the doors, his tablet in his hands. "Bulma! Bulma! We got a problem!"

"Problem?" Bulma asks as she meets her assistant halfway.

"One of the members of the Gem Project has escaped!"

Mordechai's words cause all the color to leave Bulma's face. She begins walking quickly to the front door as she says with a slight hint of panic in her voice, "Alert R&D security! If anyone finds out about the Project, we are in serious trouble!"

Mordechai, however, isn't following her. He is standing on the lawn, looking up at the sky. "Good job Krillin," He says to himself in a whisper as a smile crosses his face.

"Mordechai!" Bulma shouts at her assistant. She feels now is not the best time to be admiring the clouds.

"Sorry Bulma!" Mordechai replies before rushing over to her. "Should I inform Yamcha about the escape?" Mordechai asks as they both enter Capsule Corp.

"Focus Ichigo, you can do it," Yamcha encourages.

Ichigo, Yamcha, and Tako are in the Dojo. It's a rather large room, with various training gear, from dummies to weights littered around the Dojo. The room is not in the best of shape; the goldish tile flooring is cracked in several places and the light green walls have a few burnt marks and impact craters. Halfway up the right wall is a noticeably large crater, with cracks extending from the impact sight. That was caused by a rather vicious match between El and Tako. Shortly after moving to North City, they decided to have a match late one night. Yamcha was able to stop the fight but not before the two boys did some serious damage to one another.

Ichigo is standing a few feet from Yamcha with her hand out in front of her. Her fingers are bent and pointing to the ceiling. Her other hand is on her wrist, tightly squeezing it. She is trying to perform one of Yamcha's signature attacks, the Spirit Ball.

Tako is training in the air above them. He has large, light red pads around his wrist and ankles. They are training weights and they each weigh forty pounds. He is rapidly punching and kicking in the air, almost as if he doesn't have any weights on at all. He occasionally glances down at Ichigo and Yamcha, but only for a second.

Ichigo continues to struggle as tiny balls of energy begin to materialize a few inches above her hand. The tiny spheres travel to her hand and are absorbed by her skin upon contact. As more and more energy balls get absorbed by her hand, her hand begins to glow a dull white color.

"That's it Ichigo! You're getting there!" Yamcha cheers as sweat begins to roll down Ichigo's face. She focuses and focuses until she collapses to the floor. Landing on her hands and knees, she pants heavily as the sweat from her face land against the tile.

"Good job Ichigo. You are so close!" Yamcha encourages as he walks over to her.

"Why can't I do it?" Ichigo asks as she sits back on her knees.

Yamcha holds his hand out just like Ichigo did as he begins to talk, "Energy manipulation can be a very difficult task. I struggled with it when I was younger as well. With enough practice and time, I was able to master it." Just as Yamcha finishes speaking, a ball of white energy, the size of a bowling ball, appears. It hovers several inches above his hand and it's bright light fills the room. Ichigo stares in awe of her master's ability. Yamcha smiles at his student's wonder as the ball fades away. "Let's work on something different."

After catching her breath, Ichigo returns to her feet, eager to continue her training. "I want you to fire a Kamehameha at me," Yamcha requests, surprising his student.

"B-But Master! What if I hurt you?" Ichigo objects but Yamcha flashes her a confident smile.

"I never said I wasn't going to defend myself. So, don't hold back, k?"

Ichigo hesitates for a moment before trusting Yamcha. She quickly jumps backward several times, creating a good amount of distance between the two of them. She holds her cupped hands out in front of her in that famous pose before pulling them back to her side. "Ka...me...Ha...me..." Ichigo chants as a light blue ball of ki appear in between her hands. Beams of light shoot out from the ball and the whole display catches Tako's attention. He stops training to watch the upcoming attack. Ichigo thrust her hands forward just as she shouts "Ha!" and a beam of ki erupts from her hands.

The beam travels across the dojo at a fast pace but Yamcha remains perfectly still. His bravery frightens Ichigo, who is scared she is going to hurt him but she lets her blast continue to fly towards him. Once the blast gets halfway to him, Yamcha holds out his right hand and fires a simple ki beam of his own. The yellow beam slams into Ichigo's Kamehameha and brings it to a halt. The beams push against each other but Yamcha's blast is clearing gaining the upper hand.

"Stop holding back Ichigo!" Yamcha shouts. He wants to see just how strong his student really is. Ichigo can not hide her shock at Yamcha's words.

He's right, she is holding back. Her surprise causes her concentration to drop for a second, allowing Yamcha's blast to push her blast over halfway back towards her before Ichigo manages to stop it. She takes a deep breath before pulling the energy inside of her up and into her hands. Her blast suddenly grows larger at the base of the beam before the energy spreads down the beam. Yamcha's beam is no matched for Ichigo's now stronger beam. Not about to surrender, Yamcha matches Ichigo's energy, forcing the beams back into a stalemate. Ichigo continues to pour more energy into her beam, with Yamcha matching her. The struggle starts to take a toll on Ichigo but Yamcha continues to stand strong. Ichigo temporarily falls to one knee before getting back up. Yamcha notices her fall and he knows the beam struggle is over. His beam suddenly disappears, allowing her Kamehameha to soar straight at him. He sidesteps the beam and it dissolves before reaching the wall. Ichigo begins to breathe heavy as she tries to catch her breathe.

Yamcha gives her a proud smile before he says, "Let's take a break."

Tako watched the whole thing and he did not know Ichigo had that much power around. While she is still weaker than himself, he notes that she is growing at a fairly quick rate.

Ichigo takes a seat on a bench in the corner while Yamcha leaves to get something to drink. With the show over, Tako returns to his training. Ichigo watches in awe as Tako rapidly throws punches and kicks through the air. He is moving so quick, she can't see his hands or feet, they just look like blurs. She is so captivated by Tako's performance, she doesn't even notice Yamcha walking up to here.

Yamcha holds out a bottle of water towards Ichigo and says, "Here." His words cause Ichigo to jump as her attention is pulled away from Tako. She takes the bottle of water and gives Yamcha a thank you before opening it and taking a long drink from it. Yamcha opens his own bottle but he only takes a quick sip.

"Will I ever be that good?" Ichigo asks, her voice carrying a bit of fear.

Yamcha looks up at Tako before answering, "Of course." Ichigo lowers her head at Yamcha's answer, an act that confuses Yamcha. He quickly she doubts herself. "Ichigo, you are only fifteen. Not only is Tako older but he's been training longer. It's natural for him to be stronger. You are both much stronger than I was at your age."

Yamcha's confession raises Ichigo's spirits a little before she states, "I feel like I'm just a burden."

"You are not a burden," Yamcha quickly answers as he places his hand on her shoulder. "In fact, you are the most important member of the Z Fighters."

"I am?" Ichigo asks, not seeing how she can be so important if she's the weakest and most inexperienced.

"Because you represent hope. Not just for the people of this city but for us too." Ichigo looks up at Yamcha, not understanding what he means. Yamcha removes his hand from her shoulder before looking back at Tako. He takes a drink of water before speaking, "After the destruction of West City, everyone believed the end was near. We had trained day and night for a scenario like that and when the day finally came, we were sorely unprepared. The people and ourselves lost faith in the Z Fighters and the promise of a peaceful tomorrow. Then you came along."

"Me?" Ichigo says. She has no idea where Yamcha is going with the conversation.

"You are the promise of tomorrow. When you came to me and asked me to train you, do you remember what you said?" Yamcha asks but Ichigo shakes her head. She remembers the day but not her words exactly. "You told me you wanted to help people. That you no longer wanted to sit on the side, watching all the death and destruction on the news. You wanted to make a difference, to protect lives. That's why I decided to train you. At first, I was completely against the idea of training someone so young but I saw desire and hope in your eyes. The people of this city don't look at us as protectors, they see us as failures. You, however, remind them that we are not defeated just yet. That maybe, that warm, sunny, peaceful day is really just around the corner. You see a little girl, struggling to stand but everyone else sees someone brave and strong enough to face Piccolo." Ichigo sits and listens to Yamcha talk. She had no idea that she was that helpful. A smile forms on her face as she replays Yamcha's words in her head.

"Your Kamehameha was very good. Excellent form and you have quite a bit of power," Yamcha comments as Tako stops attacking the air. He lands in front of Yamcha and Ichigo and begins to remove his weights. His face is red and sweat is pouring out of every pore in his body. He tosses his weights aside and they make a thud noise as they land on the tile.

"Master, Let's have a training match," Tako requests, hoping his Master won't turn him down.

Yamcha looks at his student and agrees to the sudden request.

Ichigo remains on the bench as Yamcha and Tako walk to the center of the Dojo.

"I want you to fight at your fullest," Tako requests as they stand several feet apart from each other.

Yamcha smiles at Tako's confidence. He knows he's stronger then Tako and has no intention to honor his request. He isn't going to lose but he isn't going to go all out. Yamcha assumes his attack stance and Tako follows suit.

They stare each other down for what feels like forever before Tako runs at Yamcha. Using his incredible speed, he covers the short distance almost instantly. He throws a punch at Yamcha's head but he easily avoids it. Tako unleashes a fury of jabs at Yamcha and while his speed is impressive, Yamcha is still easily dodging them. Getting more and more frustrated with each missed punch, Tako brings his leg around in an attempt to strike Yamcha's side. The more experienced fighter easily sees the move coming and jumps into the air. Yamcha lands several feet away from Tako but Tako isn't finished with his offensive. Tako holds his hands out down by his sides and a ball of ki appears in each of them. He thrusts his hands forward and a pair of beams erupt from his hands. The beams rush towards Yamcha, who remains perfectly calm. With a display of power, Yamcha swats the two beams away, sending them crashing into the ceiling. Yamcha flashes a confident smile at Tako, which just makes his student mad.

"It's my turn now," Yamcha says before disappearing.

Tako begins to look around the room, trying to find where Yamcha went. He knows his Master didn't just disappear, that he just moved too quick for him to follow. Tako suddenly senses some energy building up above him and when he looks up, he sees his master forming a Spirit Ball. "Spirit Ball!" Yamcha shouts at he throws the large ball of energy at Tako.

Tako dashes backward and the Spirit Ball stops a few inches from colliding with the floor. Tako expects the Spirit Ball to follow him but it doesn't. It hovers above the ground, with no indication that it's gonna follow him. Tako stops dashing once he realizes the Spirit Ball isn't moving. Exactly what Yamcha wanted. His target no longer moving, Yamcha swipes his index and middle fingers towards Tako, and the Spirit Ball takes off towards its target. Tako blasts into the air, hoping to outrun the Spirit Ball. Yamcha swipes his fingers towards Tako and the Spirit Ball curves upward as it follows it's target. Tako darts around the Dojo, in an attempt to lose the Spirit Ball. The Spirit Ball keeps up, however, and even though Tako continues to increase his speed, the Spirit Ball always seems to be getting closer.

After a few close calls, Tako forms a plan. Tako stops in midair before dashing towards the Spirit Ball. Yamcha, curious to see what his plan is, keeps the Ball on its course. Just when it seems that Tako is going to smash into the Ball, he twists over the ki ball. He can feel the heat coming from the Spirit Ball as he is mere inches above it. Yamcha quickly thrusts his fingers upward, hoping the Spirit Ball will strike Tako but it misses him. Tako uses this opportunity to fire a barrage of ki blasts at Yamcha. He knows that Yamcha needs to focus on controlling the Spirit Ball and with the incoming ki blasts, it's going to force Yamcha to make a decision; keep the Spirit Ball together or block the ki blasts. Yamcha chooses the latter.

Yamcha crosses his arms in front of his face and a bubble of ki appears around him. The ki blasts slam into the shield, each one exploding upon impact. Tako stops firing as smoke covers Yamcha. He can still sense his Master but he wants to make sure he didn't seriously hurt him. Tako didn't see the ki shield that Yamcha put up. The smoke begins to clear and Tako can start to make out the shape of Yamcha. He is still standing, with a smirk on his face. The sight of his unharmed Master brings a sense of relief, knowing that he didn't hurt him but also frustration that he isn't winning the battle. Tako cups his hands together in front of him before pulling them to his side and begins to chant, "Ka...Me...Ha..." as a ball of ki appears in his hands. Yamcha continues to stand still, unmoving at the sight of the incoming attack. Yamcha still has an ace up his sleeve, one that Tako already brushed aside; the Spirit Ball.

The Spirit Ball hovers in place, awaiting its next orders. Yamcha holds his index and middle finger upward before swipe them down through the air. Tako looks on with confusion mere seconds before realizing the Spirit Ball is still around. While Tako's reflexes are quick, they are not that quick. The Spirit Ball collides with Tako, causing an explosion upon impact. Smoke lingers in the air and Tako falls from the smoke cloud and hits the ground.

Ichigo watches with anticipation, hoping for Tako to get back up and the fight to continue. "You are too confident," Yamcha tells Tako, who is starting to move again. "You assumed I couldn't control the Spirit Ball while I was under attack. You should never let your guard down, because you never know what tricks your opponent has up their sleeve," Yamcha explains to Tako before he breaks into a run towards his student.

Tako manages to get to his feet just in time to hear Yamcha shout, "Wolf Fang Extreme Fist!" Yamcha lets out a howl that resembles that of a wolf before kicking Tako across the face. The attack causes Tako to stumble to his left as Yamcha continues his attack. Striking with just his thumb, his index and middle fingers, Yamcha attacks Tako's shoulders, chest, and stomach. He attacks with such speed, it feels as if he is simultaneously striking Tako with six arms. The young fighter is powerless to resist the Wolf Fang Extreme Fist. A variation of Yamcha's signature attack, the Wolf Fang Fist, the Extreme Fist is more about precise strikes and speed instead of the clawing motion and power that the Wolf Fang Fist is known for. Yamcha ends his assault with a double palm strike to Tako's chest. The force throws Tako backward through the air and he slides a few feet after hitting the ground.

Yamcha straightens his stance and declares, "This match is over." He walks over to his bruised student and holds his hand out to him. Tako lets out a sigh of frustration at his loss before grabbing Yamcha's hand. Yamcha pulls Tako up and pats him on the back as he says, "Good job Tako. You have gotten very strong."

"Not strong enough to beat you," Tako complains as he rubs his right shoulder. His ego is more bruised than his body.

Yamcha, Ichigo, and Tako get a few more hours of training in before the sun sets. Ichigo and Tako head to the living room to start dinner while Yamcha goes to Central Command to retrieve Bulma. The whole building is much calmer than last time. Plus with it being the end of the day, most of the scientist and technicians are heading home.

Yamcha enters the Command room and sees a few workers finishing up for the day but no Bulma. He looks around the room before noticing Mordechai talking to a couple of security guards.

As Yamcha walks over to Mordechai, he overhears a part of their conversation. They are whispering but he can make out, "...keep searching. We need to find it."

"Hey Mordechai," Yamcha says, causing the scientist to jump and nearly drop his tablet.

Mordechai pushes his glasses onto his face as he turns around to face Yamcha. "Oh, Hello there Yamcha," Mordechai replies before looking over his shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Get to work!" He barks at the security guards, who nod before walking away. Mordechai shakes his head before asking, "How can I help you?"

"Have you seen Bulma?"

"Bulma? You should know where she is. I mean, a good husband would."

Mordechai's snarky remark catches Yamcha off guard. His eyebrows come together into a frown as he replies, "What's that supposed to mean Mordechai?" Mordechai has never given anybody an attitude. Yamcha actually thought it was impossible for the scientist.

Mordechai turns his attention towards his tablet and begins tapping it as he scrolls through programs. Mordechai speaks again, this time without as much irritation in his voice, "Your wife is in her office."

Yamcha frowns at Mordechai for a little bit longer before sharply saying, "Thanks," and walking away.

Yamcha travels up to Bulma's office and sure enough, she's at her desk, reading over some papers. The desk is covered in even more papers than it was earlier today. Bulma is so absorbed into the paper, she doesn't even notice Yamcha entering the room.

Yamcha looks at his wife and can't help but smile. Through the death of all his friends, losing his eye and the constant threat of annihilation, Bulma and Stocking are what has kept him going. Yamcha is always amazed by Bulma's resilience and will to survive. Since the rise of Piccolo, he has never seen her give up, no matter how bad things got.

Yamcha finally speaks, "Hey Honey," and his voice draws Bulma's attention away from her papers. The sight of Yamcha brings a smile to her face.

"Oh, hi there Yamcha. What brings you up here?"

"It's late and it's time for dinner," He suggests but Bulma's smile quickly fades.

"I would love too but we recently had an accident in one of the labs." Bulma waves her hand over her desk before adding, "That's what all these extra papers are. We have to find and catalog everything now."

"What happened? I overheard Mordechai talking to security about trying to find something," Yamcha says as he walks over to the desk. He sits down just as Bulma begins talking.

"We were trying to develop some new defense turrets when one of them went haywire. Mordechai is in charge of trying to find out what went wrong."

"Do you think it was sabotage?" Yamcha suggests, not liking the possibility.

"I don't think so. Besides, why would anyone want to sabotage us? If we can't defend ourselves against Piccolo, everyone dies."

"You remember what Krillin said, about the cult that worships Piccolo like a god?" Yamcha proposes, not liking that idea either.

"Hmm..." Bulma says as she leans back in her chair and thinks about the idea. "For now, I'm just going to focus on what we know. If we start becoming suspicious of everyone, everything will fall apart."

"Yeah, you are right," Yamcha replies as he stands up. He places his hand on the desk but doesn't say anything. He debates with himself if he should mention Mordechai's attitude to Bulma or not.

"What is it?" Bulma asks, noticing the serious look on Yamcha's face.

A smile forms on Yamcha's face before he leans forward and kisses Bulma. "It's nothing. I'll make sure to save you a plate," Yamcha tells Bulma before exiting the room.

Bulma returns to her papers and a few minutes later, Mordechai enters her office.

Mordechai carefully closes the door and takes a seat in front of the desk before he whispers, "They still haven't found anything."

Bulma lets out a groan of frustration as she throws the paper onto the desk. "We have to find it before it causes any more damage."

"I know Bulma," Mordechai looks over his shoulder before asking, "Did you tell Yamcha about it?"

Bulma pinches the bridge of her nose as she replies, "No, not yet. If he finds out about the Gem Project, he will start suspecting that there are other projects. If we don't find it, I'm going to have to tell him."

"It's a shame he does not share your innovative thinking," Mordechai comment earns him a glare from Bulma.

"Innovative? No. Some of the things we are doing are wrong and one day we will have to answer for it."

"But it is necessary. We sacrifice one life to save hundreds. We can not be punished for that," Mordechai defends but Bulma shakes her head.

"Necessity does not make us above the law."

"That's why we re-write the law," Mordechai insists, which surprises Bulma.

"And become no better than Piccolo? We are trying to save the world, not replace the one ruler with a new dictator."

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES:**

Thank you for staying with the story and reading up to Chapter 5!

What is the Gem Project?

What are the other projects that Bulma mentioned?

How is El, Rasha, and Krillin doing on the outside world?

More answers and questions await in the next chapter of Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Memories**

"I almost died over there and you see that crater? I was ambushed there," Krillin narrates as El, Rasha and himself fly through the air.

Krillin has been pointing out every place of interest they pass and seems to have a story about the area. Not all of the places he has been pointing out has been interesting, however. They have been flying for hours and both El and Rasha are surprised that Piccolo or one of his children haven't attacked them yet. The outside world is exactly as they remember it; bleak, barren and scarred. The empty ruins and remains of towns and homes are scattered about. The destruction varies among the concrete and wooden locations; some are mostly intact while others have blown to pieces. Every few miles they fly over or pass by what appears to be the leftover scars of a battle. Craters, half destroyed hills, crumbled mountains, and paths of destruction cutting through forests are just an example of the unstoppable chaos the Earth and it's inhabitants have been forced to endured.

El can feel his anger growing with each sight. He has been mostly quiet this entire trip, something that Rasha has noticed. She has also noticed that he has been lingering behind them. She slows her speed, allowing them to fly side by side. "Are you okay?" Rasha asks, noticing that El has a very serious expression on his face.

"This is terrible," El replies. Rasha assumes he is talking about the destruction.

"I know but we will fix it. We will stop Piccolo."

Rasha's words do nothing to calm El down. He continues to wear the same serious expression. "Rasha, have you noticed that during this entire trip, we haven't seen any signs of life?"

Rasha has noticed. She looks down at the open field beneath her as it scrolls by at a steady pace. "The human race has been hunted to extinction. The residents of North City and the Resistance are probably all that's left."

"And those that Piccolo has been sparing," Krillin chimes in. He noticed the distance growing between himself and Rasha and El so he slowed down.

"Piccolo has been sparing people?" El asks, unable to believe the news.

"Sparing them so they can worship him."

"Worship him!? Why would anyone want to worship a monster like Piccolo?" El shouts as his aura spikes for a moment before returning to normal.

"Better than death I suppose," Rasha adds. She can understand how some people would accept Piccolo's offer if it means living to see tomorrow.

"I would rather die than worship him!" El shouts, himself unable to understand why anybody would do such a thing.

Krillin points to a mountain range at the base of the horizon and changes the subject, "See those mountains? That's where me and Yamcha tried to double team Piccolo. My shoulder still hurts from that battle," He chuckles as he rubs and moves his left shoulder.

"How much further until we reach our destination?" Rasha inquires. She is not very interested in the history lesson or any of the others that Krillin has promised to tell them.

Krillin looks back at her and says, "Just a little bit longer. Central City should be coming up."

They continue flying for several more minutes before finally arriving at the ruins of Central City. The buildings have been ripped to pieces, either due to a fight or from years of decay. The ground is uneven in places, with a few craters here and there and sections of the road have been damaged. The sight reminds El and Rasha of West City. They land in what appears to have once been a shopping district. Back in the day, this district was always teeming with life. Several of the stores were open all day and the district offered a decent selection of clothes, electronics, and sporting goods. The clothing and sporting goods are still in somewhat good condition but the electronic stores have all been picked dry. All of the shops have been broken into, either through the front door or through the windows.

Central City was once the capital and the most populous city in the world. The ruler of the world, King Furry, even had his castle there. King Piccolo briefly took it over before finally being defeated by Goku. The city flourished for three years after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament and many thought that Piccolo was going to spare the city. They were wrong. Piccolo finally paid them a visit and it was there that he introduced his children to the world. Krillin remembers that day all too well.

On that day, the Z Fighters had gathered to the Brief Family living room to talk about what to do next. They have been watching the TV all day, praying that nothing happens, that Piccolo continues to remain quiet.

"I think we should take the fight to Piccolo," Yamcha suggests. His body is not covered in scars like his future self and he has both his eyes.

"Sure, just hand yourselves over to that monster. It would be like several mice against a snake," Oolong chimes in.

"Yamcha has a point, though. When we fought Piccolo in the arctic, we almost had him," Krillin says, reminding the Z Fighters about their last encounter with Piccolo.

"That's probably why he has been so inactive. He's probably been training," Master Roshi theorizes just as the TV switches from reruns of the popular sitcom, 'Living with Pappy', to breaking news at Central City.

"We apologize for interrupting your locally scheduled programming with this breaking news. Piccolo has just landed in front of King Castle," The Z Fighters lean forward as the news anchor talks. The news feed switches from the anchor at the station to a live shot of Piccolo, standing in the courtyard of King Castle.

King Castle is a white and blue, cylinder tower built in the center of Central City. A tall, white stone wall encircles the building. Several different news crews are all standing close together but at a safe distance from Piccolo. The green skinned man is dressed in his purple gi and white cape and turban as he stands on the cement walkway in front of King Castle.

Krillin and Yamcha growl at the image while fear washes over Puar, Oolong, and Chiaotzu. Master Roshi remains expressionless as he keeps his emotions in check. The video is shaky but somewhat stable as the cameraman tries to remain still.

Piccolo looks up at the balcony on the second floor. A blue and white fence is constructed around the small, square balcony. An archway leads from the second floor to the balcony. "I demand to speak to King Furry!" Piccolo barks, his voice sending chills down everyone's spine.

After several moments of silence, a light gray, anthropomorphic dog, dressed in a navy blue, pinstripe three-piece suit, walks out from the Castle. "Here I am Piccolo!" King Furry shouts, unafraid of the being who has been terrorizing the world.

An evil grin forms on Piccolo's face at the sight of Furry's unwavering courage. "You are brave, aren't you?" Piccolo taunts.

"You are nothing more than a monster. You thrive on the fear that people have for you. I do not fear you and the people of Earth should not fear you. The Z Fighters will defeat you!" King Furry shouts, his voice strong.

Piccolo says nothing in respond. He instead finds the whole thing funny. He burst into a roaring laugh, his evil cackle filling the air.

Yamcha squeezes his fist as the Z Fighters continue to watch the TV. "We can not just stand here and let Piccolo have his way with Central City!" Yamcha says through gritted teeth as his frustration and feelings of powerlessness continue to grow.

Puar floats over to Yamcha and grabs his shoulder. "Yamcha, think of Bulma and your daughter!" Puar says in an attempt to calm his friend down.

"Yeah, Puar is right," Oolong chimes in, his arms crossed and head down. "There isn't anything you can do against that monster."

Piccolo finally stops laughing. He begins to talk again, drawing the Z Fighters attention back to the TV. "The Z Fighters? They are nothing more than cowards, hiding behind their precious barrier. Earth's Mightiest Warriors? Ha! They do not care about the people of Earth! If they did, they would be here, trying to stop me!"

"He's mocking us," Yamcha says as he can feel his power rising as his anger continues to grow.

"I believe in the Z Fighters!" King Furry proudly declares.

Piccolo crosses his arms as his lips curve into a cruel smile. A feminine voice suddenly speaks, coming from above them. "Go ahead and believe. Let it comfort you as you are sent to the afterlife." The news crews begin to panic as the camera tilts up, revealing four people descending to the ground.

"Oh no," Master Roshi utters, having a good idea who these four new people are.

They land around Piccolo and are each different from one another. The one to the right and in front of Piccolo is the one who was just speaking. She has a tall, slender, humanoid frame, light green skin but her most noticeable trait is her tail. Long and thick, it is curled around her legs. She is wearing a bright red, short sleeve shirt with dark purple pants. The legs of her pants are tucked into her light blue boots. In front of Piccolo and to his left is a taller but fatter associate. He has dark green skin, no nose, and long, pointy ears. Scales cover his body while a dark purple sash is tied just under his enormous gut. His dark red pants are also tucked into his dark red boots. The one standing behind Piccolo and to his left has yellow-green skin with the head of a pterodactyl. The shortest of the group, this one is wearing a light blue, long sleeve robe with blue slip on shoes. The kanji for demon, 魔, is sewn onto the front of his shirt. The last one, standing behind and to Piccolo's right is about the same height as Piccolo with the same skin color. However, his head resembles that of a t-rex, with two horns extending from his head. He is also noticeably more muscular than the others. He isn't wearing any clothes but is covered in scales, similar to a lizard.

"Allow me to introduce my children," Piccolo announces as he holds his hands out in front of him. The Z Fighters, except for Master Roshi, are in shock at Piccolo's reveal. Piccolo jesters to each of them, starting with the one on his left and going in a counterclockwise motion. "This is Banjo, that one is Bugle, the muscular one is Guit and the slender one, that's Bell. Just like my brothers And me, they too are members of the Demon Clan."

King Furry continues to stand bravely in spite of the new revelations. Piccolo smirks at Furry's defiance, "Bow to me King Furry! Accept for as the ruler of Earth!"

King Furry has a simple, one-word reply that he says with conviction and strength. "Never."

Piccolo's smirk fades into a frown. He looks at Bell and orders, "Show him and the world what we do to those who refuse us." Bell nods her head at her father before dashing towards King Furry. She rushes at King Furry and runs her hand through his chest before he has any chance to react.

"Ugh!?" King Furry utters as Bell lifts him up into the air, giving the cameras a clear view of their dying King. A red stain begins to form on his suit around the wound. Bell's tail moves up over her shoulder and wraps tightly around his neck. She pulls her hand out of his chest and the stain begins to get bigger. Blood drips down Bell's arm before she tosses King Furry's body over to her brother Banjo. Furry hits the ground and rolls to Banjo's feet.

"That's it!" Yamcha shouts, having seen enough. He rushes out to the balcony and blasts off into the air.

"Yamcha! Wait!" Krillin shouts and he and Chiaotzu chase after him.

Guards begin to run out from King Castle and form into a line. Piccolo looks over at Guit and motions towards the guards. Guit nods before dashing towards the formation.

"Oh goody, lunch!" Banjo says, in his deep voice as he licks his lips and begins to drool at the sight of King Furry's body. He picks up the dog's body and opens his mouth wide, wider than it should be possible. The cameras do not stop rolling as the world watches Banjo bite down onto Furry's body.

"So where is this Resistance?" El asks as he lifts up into the air, hoping to spot something or someone. The sound of thunder echoes off the buildings as dark storm clouds begin to drift over the city.

"We need to start searching for some sign of them," Krillin says as he looks around at the trashed street. He knows that trying to find any clues to the Resistance's location is going to be difficult.

El continues to look around the area before noticing a park a few blocks from where they are. In the center of the park is a red circus tent. The tarp has been torn in several different spots and debris is scattered around the park. El recognizes the tent and it's a sight he never thought he was going to see again.

"Do you see anything up there?" Krillin asks but El seems to be ignoring him. Krillin and Rasha exchange looks of puzzlement before watching El fly away.

"El!?" Rasha calls out before shooting into the air. Krillin is not far behind. Once airborne, they can see El descending towards the tent. "Oh," Rasha says, her voice taking on a sadder tone. She knows what the tent is and what it means to El.

El lands in front of the tent and just stares at it. A ticket booth is a few feet in front of the tent and the poster on the front of the booth is still mostly intact. The poster reads, 'The Marvelous East City Circus!' and has a picture of the ringmaster standing under a light. Acrobats fly through the air behind him, while tigers, bears, and a T-Rex are to his left. Clowns and jugglers stand to his right. Rain begins to fall from the sky as El remembers the circus, remembers his home. He was at Central City the day of the attacks. His parents were a pair of clowns and he was just starting to join his parents out on stage. The day started out like every other. The circus was brimming with activity and live. People from all over the city gathered to watch the spectacle. It was a simple but much-needed distraction. The East City Circus was the only circus left in the world. The ringmaster, Flavio, believed it was their responsibility to offer the citizens of each town or city an escape. Even if it was brief. El didn't get to see much of the battle but he remembers seeing glimpses of it. During all of the chaos, he was separated from his parents. That was the last time he ever saw them. As he was pushed and carried along by the crowd of panicking people, he remembers seeing Bell launch a ki blast towards them. Chiaotzu is the reason why he survived, why any of those people survived. Even though he was heavily injured from the blast, Chiaotzu still managed to keep Bell's attention away from the crowd long enough for all of them to escape. That was Chiaotzu's last fight, however.

As the painful memories replay in his head, El feels someone grab his shoulder. He flinches as the memories fade before realizing it's Rasha. She doesn't say anything as she gives El a comforting smile before looking at the tent.

"I was only ten when it happened," El says as rain continues to fall from the sky, soaking all three of them.

The tender moment only lasts for a few more seconds before being interrupted by a metal ball rolling out from the tent. Rasha and El watch the ball as it comes to a stop a couple of feet from them. Having no idea what it is, they lean forward a little for a closer look. The ball suddenly explodes, filling the air with an intense light and momentarily blinding Rasha and El. Their bodies block most of the light from Krillin, who is standing several feet behind them. Krillin takes off into the air for a tactical view but is stuck in the back by a medium size ball of blue energy. The impact brings him crashing back down in the mud. He springs back onto his feet just in time to watch Rasha and El get shocked by several guys with metal rods. At the end of each metal rod is a small, metal ball with electricity dancing around it.

Krillin takes an attack stance and shouts, "Hey! Leave them alo-" but is stuck in the back by a guy holding another metal rod. "Ugh" Krillin mumbles as he stumbles forward before turning to face his attacker. All of their attackers are wearing raggy, dirty clothes. A few feet behind the man is a woman with what appears to be a rocket launcher, just without a rocket. She is down on one knee and the large, gray rocket launcher is on her shoulder. Just as Krillin notices her, she squeezes the rocket launcher's trigger. A medium size ball of blue energy, identical to the one that struck him earlier, launches from the rocket launcher and strikes Krillin in the chest. The blast throws him through the air and he hits the ground hard. He groans in pain as he rolls to his left side before the man strikes him with the electric metal rod again. This time, the electrocution knocks him out.

With all of the Z Fighters unconscious, their attackers move their bodies together. They check to make sure they aren't faking before talking about what to do next.

"That was easier than I expected," One man comments while another nods his head.

The woman stands her rocket launcher straight up before saying, "Looks like the boss's intel was correct."

"Maybe. I don't know though," Another man doubts as he grabs El's head and looks at his face from difference sides. "They could be working for Piccolo. I saw we kill 'em," The man lets El's head fall back down as another man agrees with his suggestion.

The man who attacked Krillin takes a closer look at him before saying, "Look at the midget, though, he fits the description the boss gave us. These really are the Z Fighters." He stands up before ordering, "We better take them back to her, she's going to want to talk to them."

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES:**

Thank you for taking the time to read Chapter 6.

Well, Piccolo's children have been properly introduced and as the story continues, we will get to see them fight.

Who are the mysterious attackers?

Are they the Resistance or are they a new group?

Find out in the next exciting chapter of Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - The Resistance**

Rasha is the first one to regain consciousness. She awakens to find herself sitting in a chair, held in place by a set of metal restraints wrapped around her wrists and ankles. The still unconscious El and Krillin are to her right. They are trapped in chairs that are similar to her own. They are in a large, dark room, and a hanging light directly above them is the only light. Rasha tries to break free but the restraints are somehow able to withstand her superhuman strength. She continues to try but stops when she hears El let out a weak groan. His closed eyes begin to twitch a few times before finally opening.

"Where are we?" He asks as he looks around the dark room before realizing that he is tied down to the chair. "What is this?" El asks as he attempts to break free but has about as much success as Rasha.

"Hold still," She orders before pointing her palm the best she can at El's restraint. Rasha tries to fire a ki blast but nothing happens. She doesn't understand what's going on, she can feel the energy flow through her and into her palm but then nothing. She continues to try and fire a ki blast but just like before, nothing happens. "Why can't I fire a ki blast?"

"Those restraints are specially designed to hold freaks like you," A male voice says from the shadows. El and Rasha look in the direction of the voice and try to make out whoever it belongs too. A large man walks out from the shadows and into the light. The man stands over six feet tall and has a wide chest with very muscular arms. He has a puff of blond hair at the top of his head and small but sharp, blue eyes. He is wearing a black tank top, with a pair of blue jeans and black, velcro boots. A holster is wrapped around his right thigh and a compact sub-machine gun sits in it.

"Who are you and where are we?" El demands but the large man continue to glare down at them. El's shouting awaken Krillin, who lets out a yawn before noticing the man.

"You are at one of the many bases belonging to Launch's Resistance!" The man declares as he points to himself and adds, "My name is Hanko. I am the third in command of the Resistance."

"Is Korin here?" Krillin inquiries, having no interest in Hanko or showing any concern for their current situation.

Hanko looks over at Krillin but says nothing. He glares at Krillin as the Z Fighter continues to stare back. Hanko walks over to Krillin and bends down to tell him, "You better worry about yourself before you worry about the cat. Launch has been expec-" Krillin suddenly hits Hanko across the face with his fist, sending him flying into the shadows. They hear the sound of Hanko colliding with something, they figure it must be a wall. El and Rasha look on in disbelief.

"How did you get your arm free?" Rasha asks as she tries one more time to break free. She is met with the same results as last time.

Krillin looks over at them with a bewildered look before looking at his arm. "I just slide my hand out, like this," Krillin explains as he slides his left hand out from the restraint without any problem. His hands now free, he fires a pair of beams at the restraints on his ankles, easily destroying them. He hops out from the chair and prepares to free El and Rasha when Hanko runs out from the shadow.

Rage in his eyes, he brings his large fist around and aims for Krillin's head. Krillin holds up his right arm and simply blocks the punch with his forearm. Krillin's calm motion infuriates Hanko but before he can do anything, Krillin ducks and spins to his left. He brings his fist around and slams it into Hanko's stomach. All the air escapes Hanko's body as he wraps his arms around his stomach. He takes two steps backward before dropping to his knees. Krillin delivers the final blow, an uppercut to Hanko's chin, knocking the large man backward and unconscious.

"Krillin. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," A woman's voice says from the shadows. Krillin recognizes the voice as Launch walks into the light. Launch has a head full of blonde hair with a red ribbon tied in it. Her green eyes seem to make the temperature in the room drop a few degrees. She is wearing a pink tank top that stops just above her belly bottom, a black pair of pants with white knee pads, green socks, and red sneakers. Two compact sub-machine guns are in holsters that are attached to her legs. Another holster is on her back and a shotgun rests inside of it.

Krillin stands up and exchanges heated looks with Launch before saying, "Hello Launch. You must have forgotten how stubborn I can be."

"Stubborn? No, I remember you as a coward but that's one of the requirements to be a so-called Earth's Champion now isn't it?" Launch sharply says, which earns her the wrath of Rasha.

"You take that back! The Z Fighters have fought bravely and honorably against Piccolo!"

"Like when you turned tail and ran during Piccolo's devastation of West City?" Launch counters.

"Look, all we want is Korin. After that, we will go."

"Why is the cat so important to you?"

"I could ask you the same thing. If you want a pet cat, I am sure I can find you one or you could make muscle man here your pet," Krillin jokes as he jesters over his shoulder to Hanko.

Launch grips her hands in anger as she shouts, "I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Krillin prepares for a fight when Launch suddenly calms down and pulls a remote control out from her pocket. With a push of a button, the restraints holding El and Rasha unlock and slide into the chair. Krillin can't help but find the sudden action to be very strange.

Launch turns and starts walking into the darkness as she orders, "Follow me."

They follow Launch as she leads them down several corridors. Nobody says anything but they all keep their guard up and their wits about them.

They pass several members of the Resistance but one particular member stands out to them. He is standing off to the side, with three women in front of him. They are all starting at him with stars in their eyes. The man stands a little over six feet tall and is striking a pose that proudly shows off his muscles. He has a black afro with sideburns running down the side of his face. A handlebar muscle is on his face, almost reaching his chin. He is wearing white, baggy pants that are tucked into his black boots. Red laces weave in and out of holes in his boots before finally being tied into a bow at the top them. He is wearing a black shirt that looks several sizes too big, reaching down to his knees. A white, cloth belt is tied around his waist. A dark red cape hangs around his neck.

"Hahaha! Don't worry ladies! If that freak even thinks of showing his face around here, I'll knock him out with these bad boys!" The man boosts.

One of the ladies starts feeling the muscles on his right arm while another one says, "Oh Mark! You are so brave!"

The Z Fighters continue walking, with Launch paying little attention to the man.

After walking down several more corridors, Krillin asks, "Are we walking in circles?"

"No, you dolt!" Launch yells over her shoulder before stopping in front of a door. "Here we are," She says before opening the door and entering the room. The Z Fighters follow and find themselves in what resembles a living room.

Two maroon couches are on both sides of a black coffee table. A bookshelf lines the wall opposite of the door while a small refrigerator is in front of one of the bookshelves. A brown ceiling fan slowly spins above the coffee table.

"Have a seat," Launch orders as she flops down onto one of the couches. The Z Fighters cautiously sit down on the other one.

"Did the Resistance build all this?" El asks as he looks around the room.

"Some. Most of these tunnels were already here. We are directly under the Central City Stadium, well, what's left of it anyway."

"Why did you release us?" Rasha asks, suspicious of the sudden change in attitude. Launch answers Rasha's question with a silent glare.

"Sooo, can we just take Korin and leave?" Krillin inquiries but he gets a harsh look from Launch.

"If you won't answer my last question, maybe you will answer this one. How did Korin survive?" Rasha asks, having heard the stories of Piccolo attacking the Tower right after killing Goku.

"He says it's because he's immortal. Apparently, Piccolo threw him from the tower but with the help of a Senzu Bean, he managed to recover," Launch explains but the tone of her voice suggests she doesn't believe the story.

Krillin looks up at the ceiling fan and wonders out loud, "How has he managed to survive out in the world for so long though?"

"I don't know. I could ask you the same thing," Launch replies before leaning forward. "Don't think this talk means we are friends. I want to know what you can offer us in exchange for Korin."

"In exchange?" Krillin's expression becomes blank as he stares at Launch. "I thought you would just give Korin to us." At first, Launch is offended by Krillin's comment before she bursts into laughter.

She laughs for a solid minute before answering, "No. Korin and his Senzu Beans are far too valuable to just be given away. Especially to people like you."

"People like us?" Krillin repeats as he frowns at Launch's comment.

"What about safety?" Rasha offers, which seems to pique Launch's interest. "How many members do you have?"

"A little over two hundred. We are spread out into three different groups."

"Why don't you and the other members return to North City with us? Not only could we share the Senzu Beans but you could work with Capsule Corp. I'm positive that if we pool our forces together, we can defeat Piccolo!" El offers but Launch scoffs at the idea.

"Work with Capsule Corp? I would rather die than work with that coward Bulma!"

"Bulma is not a coward!" Rasha shouts, deeply offended by Launch's comment.

"She, along with her husband and the rest of you Z Fighters hide behind barriers while the rest of the human race fights and dies! North City will fall, just like West City."

"That is not true!"

"Oh really? I have been to West City, I have seen the destruction. Tell me then, tell me about the day West City was destroyed. How it wasn't your fault. How the lives lost that day aren't on your head," Launch insists, much to Rasha and El's surprise.

Krillin places his finger on his chin before looking back up at the ceiling and saying, "Come to think about it, I have seen the destruction too. I have been rather curious about the whole situation as well."

"We never said the lives lost wasn't our fault," El sorrowfully says, the circumstances of that day clearly weigh on his mind.

"I'll tell you what happened," Rasha replies before looking at El. El nods, knowing he will have to add his experiences to the story.

"It was a day like any other. Yamcha was busy training me, El and Tako when the sirens suddenly went off..."

Inside the dojo at Capsule Corp, Tako throws several punches at Yamcha but none of them manage to hit him. El and Rasha are sitting on a bench, watching the fight. They have already had a sparring match with their master.

"Good job Tako, you are becoming much faster," Yamcha encourages as he continues to weave around the fists.

"I'm going to hit you one of these days!" Tako says with a smile on his face. Tako brings his fist back and ki appears around his hand. Before Tako can throw the energy-charged fist, they hear a loud explosion come from the outskirts of the city.

"What was that?!" El asks as he springs to his feet.

Rasha stands up as they hear another explosion. Yamcha quickly lands before rushing out the door to get a better view. Rasha, El, and Tako follow right behind him. The sound of additional explosions continues to travel across the city as the Z Fighters try to figure out what is going on. They glance out one of the windows and notice the light blue shield shimmer with each explosion. Technicians and scientists run down the hallways and the Z Fighters overhear what is going on. "It's Piccolo! He is attacking the barrier!"

Once outside, the Z Fighters lift into the air and are just in time to watch the shield around West City disappear.

"How is that possible?!" El asks as they can see five figures, who they assume to be Piccolo and his children, flying towards them. Sirens begin to wail as the sound of panicking people feel the air.

"Stay sharp! This is what we have trained for!" Yamcha shouts as he grips his fist.

Piccolo, Bell, Bugle, and Guit continue to fly towards the Z Fighters while Banjo descends towards the city. Mere seconds after Banjo's descent, explosions begin to happen around the area.

"El! Help the people evacuate!" Yamcha orders, knowing that they have to try and save as many civilians as they can. El moves his head from Yamcha to the city and back again before nodding and flying off.

Piccolo and his children stop quite a distance from the Z Fighters. "Hello Z Fighters. I have been looking for you," Piccolo says with a cruel smile. About a year ago, Piccolo stopped wearing his signature cape and turban. Now he wears a black robe with the kanji 魔 on the center of the robe. Piccolo jerks his head towards the Z Fighters and Bell and Guit fly towards them.

"We'll take care of them!" Rasha tells Yamcha as she flies towards Guit.

"You focus on Piccolo!" Tako adds as he charges towards Bell. Yamcha begrudgingly agrees with his student's orders. Rasha can sense the large power gap between Piccolo and Yamcha and she knows her master is no match for the evil demon. The gap between herself and Guit is not nearly as large.

The Z Fighters go on the offensive against Bell and Guit, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks. Piccolo's children evade the attacks while leading their opponents away from each other. This leaves Yamcha to stand along against Bugle and Piccolo.

Guit continues to evade Rasha's fists before finally catching one. He chuckles before tossing her down towards the city. Rasha flips through the air before charging back at Guit. The muscular green demon stands with his arms apart, ready to go on the offensive. He waits until she is in arms reach before he throws a punch at her head. To his surprise, his fist passes harmlessly through her. The image disappears right after his attack. Guit begins to look around but Rasha is nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, Guit feels a knee collide into his spine. He lets out a gasp of pain as Rasha spins around and slams her leg into his side, sending him tumbling through the air. Rasha thrusts her open hands out in front of her and two balls of ki energy begin to form. Guit stops tumbling and turns around just in time to see Rasha fire the two balls of energy at him. Guit smirks at the incoming attack before catching them. He closes his hands, causing the ki balls to dissipate.

"Talk about pathetic," Guit boosts as Rasha holds her hand up towards the sky. Energy begins to build up around her hand before forming into a ball of white energy. The ki ball continues to grow until it's about the size of a basketball. Guit looks at the growing energy and chuckles, "Again with the ki? You humans are so pathetic."

Rasha doesn't reply to Guit's taunt, instead, she hurls the ki ball at him. However, the ball misses, flying a few inches over Guit's shoulder. He continues to watch the ki ball as it flies through the air, taking his eyes off of Rasha. Exactly what she had planned for him to do. "You are so scared you can't hi-ugh!" Guit's taunt is cut short by Rasha's fist to his stomach. She pulls back from Guit, giving him enough time to grab his stomach before lifting up into the air and kicking Guit down towards the city.

Guit crashes through the roof of a skyscraper and continues to crash through the floors until finally stopping on one of the middle floors. Rasha's ki ball, which is floating a few yards away from here, is her version of Yamcha's signature Spirit Ball. She has a plan for it that requires her to keep part of her concentration on the ki ball. She looks over at the others and she can see Tako charging at Bell before being slapped away. The slap doesn't deter him and he charges again, just to get slapped again. Yamcha is going all out against Piccolo, each fighter dodging and exchanging hits. The city is still trying to evacuate, with the panicked screams still lingering in the air. Hovering above a line of people is El, directing everyone away from the fighting. Rasha knows if her fight with Guit reaches the ground, the civilians will get in the way and Guit might even use them against her.

Rasha hears a loud roar come from the skyscraper that Guit crashed into and seconds later he blasts out from the hole in the roof. He is clearly mad and heading right for her. Rasha braces herself and begins to dodge as soon as he throws his first punch. Rasha is able to dodge most of the punches but a few of them manage to connect. Rasha knows she either needs to go on the offensive or put some distance between them before he overpowers her. Rasha dodges a punch meant for her head as she moves closer to Guit. She places her hands a few inches from his chest and lets out a shout. An invisible wave of ki emits from Rasha's hands and manages to push Guit back. He checks his chest for any injuries but there are none. Rasha prepares to charge him when they hear an explosion from the other side of the city.

Rasha and Guit look over at Bell and Tako as a cloud of smoke rises towards the sky. Judging from Tako's stance, it looks like he fired a Kamehameha that hit one of the streets, destroying the nearby buildings in the explosion. Guit uses this moment of distraction charge and grab Rasha by the throat. He begins to squeeze her neck as she struggles to break free. Her concentration on her ki ball begins to fade, causing the ball to flicker.

Guit pulls Rasha closer to his snout. His breath smells horrible as he talks, "Is this the best that humans can do? As we have slaughtered villages and towns across the world, we are always told about you Z Fighters. How you are the saviors of humanity and how you will defeat us. Pathetic." Guit jesters towards Tako as he adds, "Maybe that boy has been on our side this entire time? Do you want to know a secret human?" Guit lowers his voice to a whisper as he tells Rasha, "My father didn't break your barrier by himself. He had help, from a human inside. The humans have such little hope in all of you that they have decided to join my father. They must have finally seen the benefits of serving a god."

Rasha doesn't know if she should believe the t-rex looking monster but she knows she has to break free from his grasp. Seeing her opportunity during his boosting, Rasha jabs her fingers into Guit's eyes. The monster roars in pain as it lets go of Rasha to bring his hands up to his eyes. Rasha grabs her neck as she chokes and gasps for air. Her attack made Guit madder than anything. In his rage, he slams his fist across her face, sending her hurling towards the buildings below. She crashes through a glass sideway that hangs above the street before slamming into a house.

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES:**

Thank you for reading Chapter 7 and for dealing with quite an unexpected hiatus!

So, I want to address a potential question for any of my readers. As we all know, Piccolo is a Namekian and Namekians don't have genders but are all referred to as male. So how can Piccolo have a daughter in the form of Bell? Well, if you remember back to the days of Dragon Ball, King Piccolo's children didn't exactly look like Namekians. While the real world reason for this is because Namekians weren't invented yet, the in-universe reason is given that they were mutated Namekians. Once you add mutation into the mix, that means almost anything is possible. So while Bell is technically genderless, she has a feminine appearance, thus becoming Piccolo's 'daughter'. That's my theory anyways.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - The Destruction Of West City**

El's feet touch down towards the center of the destroyed street. As soon as he saw the explosion, he raced over to that part of town. He looks around at the burnt steel and brick, the rubbled remains of houses and the impact crater where the blast hit. El looks up at Tako and Bell fighting and can see that Bell is clearly dominating the battle. She currently has her tail wrapped around Tako's neck and is jabbing him in the face in between her taunts. El can feel his anger rising as he watches the exchange.

"Those monsters are going to pay for this!" El says through gritted teeth, wrongly believing it was Bell, not Tako who destroyed the street.

El is about to fly up and join Tako when he hears a voice to his right say, "Aw, all the food is too burnt." El looks in the direction of the voice and sees Banjo standing on a piece of a wall. In his hand is a severed arm that has been burnt to a crisp.

"You monster!" El shouts as he fires a ki blast at Banjo. Banjo looks up from the arm and sees the incoming ki blast. It hits him straight in the chest, exploding upon impact. Smoke spreads out from the explosion, blanketing the small area around him. El stands at the ready, he knows Banjo is not going down from a simple ki blast.

"Looks like I have found some food that isn't burnt," Banjo cheerfully says as he walks out from the smoke cloud. A long, thick tongue slips out from his mouth and licks his lips before he adds, "I'm in the mood for a well-done human!"

Banjo runs towards El with a ravenous hunger and takes a swing at his head. El evades the punch before slamming his fist into Banjo's stomach. However, El can feel how ineffective his attack is. The monster's stomach easily repels the punch. El jumps back, avoiding a downward punch in the process. Banjo's fist breaks a small section of the asphalt into four pieces.

El is faster but what Banjo lacks in speed, he makes up for it in raw strength. El begins to form a plan of attack as Banjo lets out a slow growl. El kicks off from the ground and flies towards his large opponent. Banjo tries to trap El with a bear hug but the Z Fighter flips into the air. El kicks Banjo in the back of the neck before landing behind him. The kick causes Banjo to take a few steps forward before El begins to attack his back. El puts all of his strength into each punch but they continue to bounce off of Banjo. The monster swings his arm around but El ducks under the attack. As Banjo continues to spin, El starts to charge some ki into his fist. The moment Banjo stops moving, El strikes. He brings his ki charged fist up and lands a perfect hit onto Banjo's chin. The punch nearly knocks Banjo over. Seeing how effective the attack was, El knows how he can beat the monster. El jumps back and begins to charge ki into both of his fists. As he continues to focus more and more energy, a faint white aura appears around his hands. Banjo regains his footing, shakes his head and scratches his chin. El kicks off from the ground and slams his powered up fist into Banjo's stomach. Unlike before, this time, his attack actually has an effect on the monster. Banjo lets out a gasp of air before El slugs him across the face. El unleashes a barrage of punches and with each punch, El is filled with a little more confidence that he can win. His assault pushes Banjo back several feet as Banjo is unable to counterattack. El keeps up his high-speed assault when suddenly, Banjo slugs him across the face. The sheer strength behind Banjo's punch mixed with El's own unpreparedness sends him flying through the air. He crashes through the broken remains of a wall before bouncing off the ground and rolling to a stop. He lifts himself up from the ground as he hears Banjo approaching.

The monster chuckles before he says, "You think a little ki added to your fists is enough to hurt me? All you did was make me hungrier!" Banjo charges at El and delivers a hard kick to his stomach, launching him into the air. The Z Fighter flips around and lands on one knee. El quickly stands up and holds his cupped hands out towards Banjo.

"Ka...Me..." El begins to recite as he pulls his hands back to his side. Banjo seems a little confused by El's stance before a confident smirk crosses his face. As El continues to power up his attack, Banjo braces himself and extends his arm out in front of him. Using his other hand, he grabs his wrist and begins to prepare his counterattack. A bright white light begins to shine from in between El's hands while an orange ki ball, about the size of a basketball, appears in the palm of Banjo's hand.

"HA!" El shouts as he thrusts his hands forward and a beam of ki erupts out.

"Destructive Wave!" Banjo shouts as a beam fires from his hand.

The two beams collide in an explosion of white and orange energy. The two beams push against each other with El's beam on the losing end. El tries to focus more energy into the blast but Banjo's attack is just too powerful. It overtakes the Kamehameha and slams into El. The beam pushes El through several piles of rubble before pushing him through the wall of an apartment complex. The beam fizzles out before it can push him out the other side. Banjo lifts up into the air and forms another, this time, smaller ball of ki and hurls it at the building. The ball twists into the newly formed hole and explodes, destroying most of the walls on that floor. With the walls destroyed, the top part of the complex crashes downward, causing the whole building to crumble to the ground. Stratified with his victory, Banjo flies off to another part of the city to resume his destruction and eating.

Several moments after Banjo leaves, the rubble begins to stir. El pushes a large piece of debris off of him and it tumbles down the pile. He is alive but injured. He has cuts and bruises all over his body and during the collapse, a large piece of debris struck him in the top left of his forehead, cutting him in the process. El pulls himself out of the debris and decides not to chase after Banjo. He instead, turns his attention to the fighters in the air. Bell and Piccolo have joined forces against Yamcha and Tako and they appear to be talking right now. El senses Master Roshi a few blocks away and he lifts into the air to go meet up with him.

Rasha stands back up, she still has some fight left in her. Her collision with the glass sidewalk tore parts of her clothes and a decent size piece of glass has managed to lodge itself into her right shoulder. She pulls it out with a slight grunt before tossing the bloody shard aside. Blood begins to run down the hole in her arm but she is more focused on Guit. She can sense him coming closer but she can also still sense that her Spirit Ball is still intact. Some of its energy has slipped away but it is still in the sky. She looks around at the modest house she crashed into. On the dining room table sits four bowls of noodles that appear to be untouched. Whoever's house this is, they were just getting ready to eat lunch when the attack came. Rasha notices pictures of the happy family hanging on the walls alongside some scenic pictures of a grassy plain and a mountain range. She prepares to take off back into the sky when Guit descends through the hole.

"Humans bleed so easily," Guit says in a low growl as he looks at Rasha. Rasha says nothing as she assumes a fighting stance. Whereas others in her situation would be filled with terror, she can't help but be filled with excitement. Guit is a powerful opponent, much stronger than her current sparring partners. She doesn't have to hold back against him like she does El and Tako. Guit lets out a roar before charging at her, his heavy footsteps cracking the floor as he runs.

He brings his fist forward with a wide swing. Rasha crosses her arms and takes the full force of the punch. She slides across the floor from the impact but she is still on her feet. She goes on the offensive, charging at him this time. He throws a punch at her just as she brings her fist forward. Their fists collide together and a dome of air bursts out from the impact. They continue to slam their fists together and with each dome of air, more of the house gets destroyed. As the stalemate continues, Guit's anger grows. Guit suddenly stops attacking and lifts his head up towards the ceiling. Rasha can sense ki beginning to build in his mouth. However, she doesn't have enough time to dodge the attack. She crosses her arms in front of her face as he lowers his head and opens his mouth. A yellow beam of ki erupts from his throat and envelops Rasha completely. The beam shatters through the wall and continues across the street, slamming into the next house. The beam disappears, dropping Rasha onto the street in between the two destroyed houses.

The beam destroyed the sleeves on her gi as well as the area around the right shoulder, revealing her black undershirt. The right leg of her gi has been torn halfway up her thigh while the left leg is torn up to the knee. The exposed parts of her body are covered in scratches, cuts, and bruises now. Rasha gets back onto her feet and takes a few heavy breaths as Guit exits the house. Seeing her still alive just infuriates him even more.

"How are you still standing?! Nothing survives that attack!" He roars to the sky.

Rasha's mouth curves into a small smile as she answers, "I am made of stronger stuff than most." That blast actually did inflict damage and Rasha knows she needs to end this battle soon. One way or another.

Guit lets out another roar before charging at her. Rasha tries to move but her body doesn't react fast enough. Guit punches her across the face and sends her flying down the road. She hits the ground on her shoulder and slides a few feet before stopping. She gets back to her feet just in time to see Guit charging at her again. She grits her teeth as she evades his straightforward punch. Rasha counters with a knee to Guit's stomach. Guit howls out in pain before bringing his claws down and slashing her across the chest. A short scream escapes from Rasha as Guit's sharp claws tear through her flesh. He slams his fist against the wounds, the force of the strike throwing her through the air. She hits the ground but doesn't immediately get back up.

Rasha can hear his heavy footsteps approaching as her chest throbs. She can feel blood beginning to run down from the claw marks. She lets out a painful grunt as she sits up. A wicked smile is on Guit's face, he knows he has won. Rasha refuses to give up and she manages to get back to her feet, much to Guit's annoyances. Breathing heavier than before, she looks up at the sky at her Spirit Ball. It is now only half as big as it was before. She knows it's now or never. She cups her hands together behind her back and begins to focus as much energy as she can.

"Ka...Me..." Her chanting stops Guit in his tracks. He sees the ball of blue energy beginning to form in Rasha's hands and he begins to laugh. "Ha...Me..." Rasha continues, undeterred by the monster's evil laughter. As light shines out from her hands, she glances up at her Spirit Ball. The unmoving Spirit Ball suddenly springs to life and sails down towards the unaware Guit. "HA!" Rasha shouts as she thrusts her hands forward with all of her might. The beam of energy erupts out and just as Rasha had hoped, Guit doesn't move. He decides to catch the beam in a show of power. Guit begins to laugh again but his laughter is cut short by the Spirit Ball. It slams into his back, causing him to let go of the Kamehameha. The Spirit Ball doesn't explode upon contact, instead, the beam and the ball pins him together. He lets out a roar of agony as the two attacks vaporize him.

The moment the Spirit Ball and Kamehameha make contact with each other, they explode. Smoke covers the area. Rasha continues to stand, her cupped hands still extended outward. She tries to catch her breath and while she can no longer sense Guit's presence anymore, she continues to keep her guard up. The smoke begins to clear, revealing that Guit did not survive the attack. The battle over, Rasha falls over backward and hits the ground. She used up most of her remaining energy with that attack but she knows now is not the time to rest.

A cold wind falls over the city. Rasha can not hear any fighting or any screaming. The silence lingers until a series of loud shrieks cuts through the air. Judging by the sound of the shrieks, Rasha assumes they belong to Guit's siblings. They must have just sensed his death. Rasha figures one of the children will be coming to investigate soon and in her state, she will be easily killed. She struggles to get to her feet, she places her hand over her bleeding shoulder and begins to head in the direction of Capsule Corp.

Rasha walks through the abandon and destroyed streets of West City, hoping to find one of the other Z Fighters. High in the sky, she can see Piccolo, Bell, Yamcha and Tako all fighting while Bugle watches from a distance. She witnesses Tako charge at Bell and the monster firing a large blast at him. She watches Yamcha rush forward and shields Tako from the blast. She hears her master's scream echo across West City. The blast carries them away and into a nearby skyscraper. Rasha begins to move as fast as she can towards the skyscraper, her mind fearing the worst.

She suddenly senses a build up of energy several yards behind her. Rasha looks over her shoulder as she hears a voice shout "Ha!" and a beam of blue ki erupts out from the ground. The beam travels towards Bell and Piccolo but neither of them flies away. Bell floats to the side as Piccolo flies forward, ready to take on the beam. He lets out a loud grunt as he slaps the beam to the side. The beam continues to travel through the air before exploding against a tall, circular building. Piccolo, Bell, and Bugle turn their attentions to whoever fired the blast and slowly descend to the ground.

Rasha turns her attention back to the skyscraper, unsure of who is now fighting Piccolo. It could be El and he could need her help but she is in no condition to help. She knows this battle is over. They have lost. She arrives at the skyscraper and decides to check behind it, in case they crashed through to the other side. Her suspicion was correct, Tako and Yamcha did crash straight through the skyscraper and their impact with the ground created a small crater. Rasha slides down the crater and places her hand on Yamcha's shoulder. Tako is underneath him and neither one of them is moving. She can sense that they are still alive, although barely. She begins to try and pick up Yamcha when she hears a voice call her name from behind him.

"Rasha?" The familiar voice says. She recognizes it as belonging to El.

"El, I'm glad to see that you are alive," Rasha says, a faint smile forming on her lips.

El slides the crater as he says, "I'm glad to see you too Rasha." Once he reaches the bottom, he looks at Yamcha and Tako before asking, "Are they..."

"They are alive, but barely. Help me with them, we have to get out of here."

"What about the people in the city? We can't just leave them," El argues but Rasha shoots him a sharp look.

"We have lost El. If we stay here any longer we will be killed. We have to get out of here and recover. After we defeat Piccolo we will wish everyone back with the Dragon Balls," Rasha says before picking up Yamcha. She lets out a short grunt as she adjusts him on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to carry him?" El offers but Rasha shakes her head.

"I got him. You grab Tako," She orders as she begins to walk out of the crater.

They begin to travel to Capsule Corp, hoping that Bulma hasn't evacuated yet. They can hear the sounds of fighting behind them.

"Who fired that blast at Piccolo? Was it you?" Rasha asks but El shakes his head.

He looks down at the ground before answering, "It was Master Roshi."

Back in the present, Rasha finishes up the story, "We were able to find Bulma and we hide in a secret vault under Capsule Corp. Piccolo and his children sent three days destroying West City. Are they left, we found as many survivors as we could as we relocated to North City."

"We never found out who helped Piccolo, though. I bet they died during the attack." El adds.

"It would be another six months before we would encounter Piccolo's children again and by that time, North City was reinforced." Launch says nothing as the story sets in. "So you see? We tried everything to stop Piccolo but they were just too strong."

Launch shakes her head before speaking, her tone a mixture of disappointment and anger, "No, you didn't try everything."

"Yes we did," El insists but Launch stands up and shouts, "No! If you tried everything you would have died on your feet! Instead, you ran and let thousands die!"

Rasha jumps to her feet and argues back, "Ran? You think you are doing any better?! Where were you during the battle?!"

Krillin stands up and tries to calm the two women down by saying, "Look, that was all in the past. Arguing about it now won't change anything. " Krillin looks over at Launch and tells her, "We will take Korin with us and you can think about Rasha's offer to team up."

Launch takes a step back and swipes her hand forcefully through the air as she says, "No! You are to leave, now!"

Launch's order surprises Krillin while Rasha still has a stern look on her face. El has a serious expression as well but it's not like Rasha's. He knows Launch is right, they could have done more but they decided to hide instead. The blood of all those people are on their hands.

"So, you aren't going to give us Korin and the Senzu Beans?" Krillin asks again, almost like he didn't understand Launch's order.

Launch turns her hateful look towards Krillin and says through gritted teeth, "Get. Out."

Krillin lowers his head while El stands up. He heads towards the door but stops and looks over his shoulder at Rasha. She continues to glare at Launch before reluctantly joining him. Krillin however, keeps his head lowered.

"You humans are so stubborn," Krillin says under his breath. Rasha and El couldn't quite make out what he said but Launch heard him.

"Us humans?" Launch asks, her hands instinctively reaching from her pistols. Krillin's hand starts to change shape, twisting into a sharp point. His hand is out of everyone's view, however. "What do yo-ugh!" Launch's sentence is cut short by Krillin thrusting his hand towards her and it suddenly extends, the sharp point piercing through her stomach.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

I want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who has read up to this point. I know the story isn't perfect, my writing is kinda bumpy but every one of you continues to read these chapters and I really appreciate it!

In the next exciting Chapter, we will discover just what exactly Krillin is or has become or if that is even the real Krillin.

There are still several more chapters to this...Piccolo Saga remaining. I'm not really sure how many but I know some more exciting stuff is coming!

I don't know how long this fanfic is going to run, to be honest. I know I'm going to finish this Saga and I have another one planned but I'm trying to avoid the whole 'This is just DBZ with different characters'.

I'm also sure you have noticed that some events haven't happened yet. Piccolo and Goku fought at the World Martial Arts Tournament in Age 756, this story takes place ten years after that in Age 766. In the original timeline, that is the year Trunks is born, so the whole Saiyan and Namek Sagas have come and gone. Even given how relaxed I am with power levels, this Piccolo can not defeat Vegeta. As we know, Nappa and Vegeta only arrived on Earth after Raditz did. Killing off Goku would not change Raditz arrival, something else must have happened...


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR NOTES**

For those of you who have already read Chapter 9, this is a slightly altered version. I was writing Chapter 10 when I realized it was going to be either too short or too long so I changed the ending of Chapter 9.

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - The Imposter**

Rasha and El are frozen. What they are seeing can not be real, a person can not change their hand into a blade and extend their arm by several feet. That is exactly what has happened, though. Their friend and fellow Z Fighter, Krillin, has just stabbed Launch through the stomach.

Launch coughs up some blood before she growls at Krillin. Krillin's lips curve into a smirk as Launch's blood runs down her wound and over his arm. However, Launch is not so easily defeated. She draws her submachine gun and opens fire at Krillin's face. She squeezes the trigger hard, unloading the entire clip into Krillin. It's all in vain. The bullets just harmlessly bounce off of Krillin. Krillin pulls his arm out from Launch's stomach, splattering blood across the floor in the process. With nothing to hold her up, Launch collapses to the floor. She holds her bleeding stomach as she can feel her body becoming weaker. Krillin kneels down in front of her and speaks with a condescending tone, "Oh Launch, don't be upset with me. This is all your fault. You should have just given me Korin when I asked and you wouldn't have had to die."

Rasha and El finally snap out of their shock and they both assume an attack stance as Rasha yells, "What are you?!"

Krillin turns his head and looks at Rasha before he stands up and answers. "What do you mean? I'm Krillin! Your fun-loving friend!"

Just as those words leave his lips, Rasha dashes across the room and slugs him across the face. The impact throws Krillin through the wall and out into the hall. His sudden appearance surprises some nearby rebels that were talking. Krillin barely has enough time to get to his feet before Rasha dashes through the hole and begins to slam her fists against him. Each blow pushes him closer and closer to the wall before he is finally between the wall and her fists.

El rushes to Launch to see how he can help her but she pushes him away. She places her free hand on the coffee table and struggles to stand to her feet. The two rebels in the hall glance through the hole and see their injured leader. They rush to her aid but she swipes her hand through the air as she shouts, "Don't worry about me! Raise the evacuation alarm!" The two rebels reluctantly agree before running off.

"Launch, you need medical attention!" El insists as he reaches to help Launch stand but she slaps his hands away.

"What I need is for that bastard to die!" Launch shouts as she looks at Krillin. There is now a small crater around Krillin as Rasha pounds him through the wall. The stone wall cracks every time Rasha punches Krillin.

Rasha slugs him across the face before swinging her another fist around for a strike. Krillin quickly raises his arm and stops the punch. He adjusts his head so he is looking at her and his confident smirk returns to his face. His hand suddenly shifts into a blade and he takes a swing at her stomach. Rasha jumps back, just barely avoiding the point. He steps away from the damaged wall as El joins Rasha.

Krillin holds up his blade and it shifts back into his hand. He extends his arms out in front of him as he inquires, "I don't know why you are fighting me? We are after the same goal!"

"No, we aren't," El replies as an alarm starts blaring across the base. The fighters ignore the alarm as El asks, "Are you another one of Piccolo's children?"

El's accusation seems to anger Krillin as his eyebrows come together to form a frown. "Piccolo did not create me. He is not strong enough to create something like me," Krillin explains as the sound of approaching soldiers echo down the halls. "Piccolo might think he is a god but he is nothing more than a speck of dirt in the eyes of the universe."

Rasha and El prepare to attack Krillin when soldiers suddenly flank them on either side. They line up across the hall, preventing anyone from escaping. Each soldier is armed with semi-automatic rifles and they are all pointing at Krillin. Krillin glances at the two lines before a voice shouts out, "Open fire!" Rasha and El take the order as their cue to jump back through the hole. Bullets rip through the air but just like with Launch's sub-machinegun, the bullets bounce harmlessly off of Krillin. A cruel smirk crosses Krillin's face before he holds up his hand and it shifts into a blade again.

"What is he?" El asks as all the bullets clink against the cement flooring. El notices that Launch is gone, leaving behind a pool of blood by the coffee table and a trail to the door.

Krillin swings his blade hand towards the soldiers to his right and his arm extends like a whip. Several of the soldiers were able to avoid the blade in time but two soldiers were not quick enough and the blade cut them across their chests.

"We have to get him away from all of these innocent people," El remarks as they hear the two soldiers scream.

Rasha nods her head before saying, "We need to get him to the surface."

Krillin goes to attack the other line of soldiers as Rasha and El prepare to engage him when a voice suddenly shouts out, "Dynamite Kick!" The man from earlier, who was surrounded by the three women, comes flying through the air and kicks Krillin in the side of the head. Unfortunately, the kick has no effect. From down the hall, Mark's fans cheer him on.

"Get him Mark!"

"Show him who's boss!"

"Teach that meanie a lesson!"

Mark is at first surprised by his attack uselessness but he isn't deterred for long. "Oh, so you survived my signature attack? Not many people can claim that. I'll just have to use my ultimate attack on you! Nobody survives..." Mark pauses from his boosting to jump back and prepare his 'ultimate' attack. He pulls his fist back and shouts, "Dynamic Megaton Punch!" before launching his fist at Krillin's cheek. The punch connects perfectly and Mark unleashes several more punches before delivering a uppercut and a chop to the neck. Mark jumps back and lets out a yell as he pulls his fist back to finish the combo. "Take this!" He shouts as he slams his fist right between Krillin's eyes. Unfortunately, just like his earlier kick, none of his attacks have any effect. Mark's eyes widen as he slowly removes his fist and sees that his opponent is unharmed. The attacks did do something however, they irritated Krillin. He brings his blade hand up, posed to strike down the nuisance. Rasha and El see that as their sign to intervein.

Rasha quickly forms an aura around her and charges at Krillin while El dashes towards Mark. Rasha tackles Krillin before he can strike Mark and they crash through the cracked wall. On the other side of the wall is a bathroom and they land against the tile flooring. Rasha moves to attack Krillin while he is on his back but he takes a wild swing at her. She leans back but the blade cuts through the front of her orange gi. Krillin flips backward and up onto his feet before charging at Rasha. He attacks with his blade hand, forcing Rasha on the defensive.

El moves Mark over to his fans before ordering everyone in the hall to leave. "Get out of here! We are going to take him to the surface!" The soldiers look at each while the three women swarm Mark.

"Mark, are you okay?"

"That was really brave of you!"

"You almost had him!"

El's quick movements took the breath right out of Mark. He takes several quick, short breaths before springing to his feet. His fists on his hips, he lets out a big laugh before looking at El and saying, "I weaken him for you. Now finish him!" El shakes his head at the over confident man before dashing to the center of the hall.

El looks through the hole and watches Rasha trying to evade Krillin's blade hand. Rasha flinches as Krillin manages to cut her cheek. El knows he needs to act fast. He forms a ball of ki in his hand, which startles the rebels. He focuses more energy into it, he knows he has to make a big enough hole to send Krillin through. Once the ki ball reaches the size of about a basketball, he fires the blast into the ceiling. The blast tears through the cement of the tunnels, continues through the dirt before finally reaching the outside. A ray of light shines down the hole and washes over El. "Rasha, now!" El shouts as he begins to focus ki into his fist. He is not sure how is he going to get Krillin to the surface. He knows he probably can't kick him up the hole. He just knows he has to get the fight away from the rebels any way possible.

Rasha evades a wild swing aimed at her throat before flipping over Krillin and kicking him hard in the back. The impact sends him towards El, who greets the imposter with a ki-enhanced fist to the stomach. Unlike the previous attacks, this one seems to have an effect, knocking the wind out of Krillin. An aura appears as El as he wraps his arms tightly around Krillin and flies up through the hole. The hole El made wasn't quite big enough for both of them. This causes El to flying through a part of the cement ceiling and the dirt above it before finally reaching the outside.

The hole leads them out to the center of the Central City Stadium. The once proud stadium has fallen into disarray. Several of the floors in the stands have fallen down and about one-third of it has been reduced to craters. The grass has grown out of control and has spread throughout the stadium with pockets of grass growing around some of the seats.

Once they are high enough, El releases Krillin and he begins to attack the imposter. Rasha flies up through the hole and joins El, forcing Krillin to go on the defensive. He evades several of their attacks but a few punches manage to connect. Rasha drifts back for a second before she brings her leg around and slams it against Krillin's stomach. The attack stuns Krillin, giving El enough time to punch Krillin in the face with his still charged fist. The impact throws Krillin through the air and he slams into the ground, throwing dirt and grass into the air. El and Rasha remain in the air, they know this battle isn't finished.

Krillin flinches in pain before opening his eyes. He casually returns to his feet before brushing the dirt off of his gi. Krillin looks up at Rasha and El before lifting himself into the air. "How noble of you. You want to save the rebels even after the way they treated us."

"I want some answers. Who are you? You say you weren't created by Piccolo. Are you on his side?" Rasha demands, curious if this is another trick by Piccolo or if they got a new enemy to deal with. They also have to watch out for Piccolo and his children. Whenever there is a fight involving ki, they will quickly appear.

"You humans have a saying. An enemy of my enemy is my friend," Krillin explains as he reaches their level in the sky. His hand has also changed back to normal.

"What are you after?" El inquiries as the ki around his fist disappear.

"That's none of your concern," Krillin coldly replies before asking them a question. "How can you blindly attack your friend like this, though?"

"Cause you aren't the real Krillin!" El quickly replies.

Krillin smirks at the statement before replying, "But I am the real Krillin. However, I have grown tired of this form. Let see if you are so eager to fight your mentor." El and Rasha exchange a quick glance before they raise their fists in preparation for what's to come.

Krillin's whole body begins to shift and morph, like a piece of clay being molded into something new. His clothes remain the same but he is now taller, with a head full of short, black hair. His face continues to shift until finally stopping. El and Rasha can not believe their eyes. They just witnessed Krillin transform into Yamcha. Everything about their foe is now different. From his looks to his stance, and even his power level, he is now nearly identical to Yamcha.

"What do you think? Pretty good huh?" Yamcha says with a confident tone and smile.

"It's almost perfect," Rasha answers before El adds, "Except Yamcha has a scar over his left eye," Yamcha lets out a small chuckle at the comment.

Rasha is the first to charge as El begins to focus ki into his hands and feet. Rasha throws a punch at Yamcha's head but he easily evades it. He counters with his own swing but Rasha blocks it with her arm. They both unleash a fury of punches as they move through the air. Rasha and Yamcha land a few good punches on each other but Rasha is serving more as a distraction right now. El finishes focusing his ki and charges towards Yamcha and Rasha. Sensing him coming, Rasha drops her guard for a second, allowing Yamcha to strike her across the face. To his confusion, she doesn't counter. Instead, she flashes him a smirk before dropping down through the air. Yamcha watches her descend before suddenly realizing their plan. However, it is too late.

"Ki Pummel!" El shouts as he unleashes this fury of ki-enhanced kicks and punches. Ever since his fight with Banjo back at West City, El has been practicing and training this technique. From his training, he can focus more ki into his hands and feet as well as increase his attack speed. This increase in speed combined with his increased strength makes him a dangerous opponent for this Yamcha imposter. El finishes his combo by drifting back a few feet before slamming both of his fists against Yamcha's stomach. Yamcha lets out a gasp of pain as he bends over and grabs his stomach. El puts some distance between them as he watches Yamcha shake from the combo.

However, this is all an act. "How predictable!" Yamcha shouts as he fires a purple ki blast at El. With no time to react, the blast hits El in the chest. It carries him through the air and he slams into the seats of the stadium.

"El!" Rasha shouts as she watches El crash into the seats.

Yamcha uses this distraction and kicks Rasha across the face, sending her crashing into the ground. Yamcha points his hands towards El and Rasha as a ball of dark purple ki appears in each hand. He simultaneously fires the beams at his two foes.

They both open their eyes just in time to see the beams traveling towards them. Acting quick, El and Rasha fires a counter beam at the incoming attack. The four beams collide together in an explosion of dark purple, white and blue energy. The beams push against each other, with Rasha's beam actually pushing Yamcha's beam back towards him. All El's beam has done was slow down Yamcha's beam. Yamcha struggles to win both beam clashes but Rasha's beam manages to break through and slam into him. This causes the other beam to disappear and El's beam crashes into Yamcha.

As smoke covers Yamcha, Rasha and El regroup. They sense a change in the imposter, with his power level suddenly increasing but before they have a chance to react, a long, purple rod suddenly burst through the smoke. At the end of the rod is a blade and it stabs Rasha right in the shoulder. She lets out a painful grunt as the rod retracts back into smoke. El flies to Rasha's side as she grabs her shoulder.

The smoke clears, revealing that they are no longer fighting Yamcha. In the imposter's place is a tall, muscular, featureless, purple humanoid. The purple rod is actually the humanoid's arm. The humanoid's body reminds them of thick jello.

The humanoid's voice has become different again. It has become deeper but his arrogant tone has not changed. "Oh look, I got one." The humanoid has no eyes, nose, ears or mouth so they do not know how he is talking to them but they can hear him.

"What are you?!" Rasha asks again and this time the humanoid decides to answer the question.

"My name is Zery and this is my true form."

Rasha straighten her stance as El asks, "Why are you so interested in Korin?"

"I could care less about the cat. I'm after the senzu beans."

"Of course," El replies. He should have guessed that was the reason.

"I have traveled across the stars and have seen amazing things but I have never heard of a bean that can completely restore you to full health. With that kind of power, I could rule the galaxy! I could make my own empire and nobody could stand in my way!" Zery boosts as the thought excites him.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" El shouts as he charges at Zery. He unleashes a barrage of punches but each punch just bounces off. Like punching a pillow. Each punch causes Zery's body to jiggle as the shockwaves travel through his body. "Wha?!" El says as he drifts back.

Zery slugs him across the face several times before grabbing him by the throat and throwing him towards the ground. Rasha charges at Zery, her shoulder still bleeding. However, instead of attacking her, his arm twists and bends through the air before wrapping around her neck. He pulls her close to him as she struggles to break free. "They don't know, do they?" Zery's question catches Rasha off guard, who freezes with her hands dug into his jello-y arm. He continues to talk, but he lowers his voice to almost a whisper. "When I first arrived at North City, I could smell you. At first, I thought I was mistaken but after seeing you fight, after seeing your ferociousness, I knew it was true. Who would have guessed that I would find someone like you, out here on this wasteland of a planet? I have heard there is a very high reward for capturing someone like you. I bet Lord Fr-" Zery's conversation is suddenly cut short by Rasha yelling out in anger.

Her rage causes her power level to spike and an aura forms around her, destroying his arm in the process. She slams her fists repetitively against him, and each punch leaves a dent in his jello body. After pounding on his body, she drifts back and unleashes a barrage of ki blasts. Smoke covers his body and the area around him as she continues to fire dozens of blasts. She stops firing long enough to pull her arms straight back and form a ball of ki in each hand. She brings her hands together, wrist touching wrist and fires a beam into the smoke. The beam rips through the smoke before striking the damaged jumbo screen in the back. The explosion destroys the jumbo screen and pieces of it rain down onto the field. Purple liquid falls to the ground from the smoke. That is all that remains of Zery.

Rasha floats down to El as the smoke dissipates, her face still red with anger.

"Are...Are you okay?" El cautiously asks. He has seen Rasha angry before but never like that.

Rasha's feet touch the ground and her aura begins to fade as she answers, her tone still fiery."Yeah, I'm fine." She lets out a few quick breaths of air in an attempt to calm herself down. She knows she has to tell El something but she can't tell him the truth. She gathers her thoughts as her aura disappears completely. "He said that after us, he would kill everyone at North City."

"Well, he won't now," El replies as he looks at the pools of purple liquid that are on the ground. El turns his attention back towards Rasha and upon seeing her bleeding shoulder, remembers about her wound. "We need to get your shoulder taken care of," He says but Rasha shakes her head. El is also injured but it's nothing as serious as a bleeding shoulder.

She looks at the wound in her shoulder. It is by no means the worst wound she has ever received. "We need to find Korin," Rasha comments as she lifts into the air. She flies down the hole and back into the rebel base.

El does not like her decision to simply ignore her injury but he knows that they can get some first aid inside the base. El follows her down the hole, unaware that the purple liquids are beginning to move closer to one another.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Thank you so very much for reading Chapter nine! I hope you have enjoyed it!

So back in 2009, two databooks were released for Dragonball Z and in the books Akira Toryiama answered the question, What is Mr. Satan's (Hercule), real/first name? Turns out it was Mark. Thus, just like how in the series Hercule survives the Cell and Majin Buu catastrophes, here too he survives. In the original timeline, Mark became Mr. Satan from training at Satan Castle. While in this timeline he still trained there, Hercule has a more professional wrestler attitude to me and in this world, everything fun doesn't exist anymore. So he keeps his overconfident, boasting attitude but drops the moniker of Mr. Satan. For a human, Mark is strong, he is just sorely outclassed by all of our main characters.

So Zery. Zery is my real original being that is not based on anything from the DBZ lore. Zery's purpose, ultimately, in the story is to show that there is more going on then just Piccolo vs Z Fighters. Plus shapeshifting isn't really covered a whole lot in the Dragonball story...at least not that I can remember. He was originally gonna be gum like, which kept with his whole stretchy style but then I decided to make him jello instead. I kept the stretchy blade though. (which, I'll admit, is similar to the Parasites in the manga/anime Parasyte.) With my characters, I also try to keep the pun-style of names that DBZ has so Zery's name came about from Zeri, the Japanese word for jello. (At least, according to Google Translator :P) Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed Zery.

Next time on Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age, we return to North City to see what Tako, Stocking and Ichigo have been doing while 'Krillin', El and Rasha were looking for Korin.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - The Mysterious Youth**

Tako is sitting on a bench in Yamcha's Dojo. He is staring across the empty room, lost in thought. At this early hour, he is usually relaxing on a rooftop or wandering through the city but not today. Today, he feels different. His mind has been replaying something that Rasha had said to him yesterday morning.

"We still have a lot to learn. As long as Piccolo is still out there, we must keep training."

He knows he is the strongest out of the Z Fighters, second only to Yamcha and that he can defeat any foe but he also knows that Rasha is right. Piccolo and his children continue to train, to get stronger and so must they. All that stands between humanity and total annihilation is the Z Fighters. If they fail again, if Piccolo breaks through this barrier, there will be no evacuation, no retreating to another city. Tako rarely talks about the Destruction of West City but that's not out of disrespect or willful blindness, it is out of a desire to become stronger. To not focus on the mistakes of the past but to look to what tomorrow holds. To a world without Piccolo.

Tako stands to his feet and walks over to his familiar weights near the corner of the room. He slides them on his arms and legs and takes extra care to make sure they are on properly. He floats up into the air and drifts to the center of the room. He brings his arms up as he closes his eyes. He begins to focus on his training, to clear his mind of all obstacles. Yamcha has told him numerous times to always focus his mind on the task at hand, to not let any doubt in. Tako opens his eyes and he is ready to train.

He begins to furiously punch and kick the air as fast as he can. To the untrained eye, his punches and kicks would seem like nothing more than blurs. Sweat begins to dot Tako's forehead as he starts pushing himself. He must become faster. He must become stronger.

After attacking the air for several minutes, Tako stops to catch his breath. Sweat rolls down his brow as he slowly drifts through the air. He suddenly hears a woman speak to him from behind.

"Do you think this will help you?"

He knows that voice. It's a voice that haunts his nightmares, a constant reminder of how he failed three years ago. He spins around and floating a few feet from him is Bell. Her arms are crossed and her tail is wrapped around her legs. "How did you get in here?!" Tako shouts as he raises his fists up.

"You can train as much as you want but you will never beat me. We will attack and you will fail again. This time, your master won't be able to save you," Bell taunts as her tail unwinds. It begins to sway in the air as she adds, "Everyone you know will die. The human race will come to an end and I will make sure you watch as I kill every...last...one of your friends."

Tako can feel his anger building at the very sight and sound of Piccolo's daughter. Her presence raises several questions, however. How did she get into the dojo? Did they break through the barrier? How did Tako not hear the alarm? How come he didn't sense her approaching? Where are her brothers and more importantly, where is Piccolo? Tako will worry about all that later. Right now, he has to defeat her.

Tako charges at her and starts wildly throwing punches. The monster easily dodges the weighted punches as she continues taunting. "All you are doing is delaying the inevitable. You are nothing more than a weak, pathetic human. How many people did we kill when we destroyed North City? Every one of those deaths is your fault and yours alone," As Bell talks, Tako's attacks become faster as he pushes himself but they also become sloppier. "You could have saved them. All you had to do was stop us. Those people trusted you and expected you to protect them but you couldn't. You even helped us! Remember that blast you fired at me? The one that struck that neighborhood? How many people did you kill? How many lives did you end that day? Which side are you really on?"

Tako lets out a rageful scream as he powers up. He charges again and this time he mixes in some kicks. He is seeing nothing but red as his rage has completely taken him over. Bell continues to evade his attacks, and in his state of anger, that has become even easier. She lifts her tail up and quickly wraps it around his neck. Tako grabs her tail and tries to pull it off to no avail. Her tail begins to squeeze his neck, choking him in the process. A cruel and sadistic smile forms on Bell's face as Tako struggles to breathe. He drops his hands drop from her tail and forms two balls of ki. Just as he prepares to fire his blasts, he hears Bulma voice come from the door of the dojo.

"Tako," She cheerfully says as she waves at him. Her voice draws his attention away from Bell for a moment. When he looks back, Bell is mysteriously gone. He begins to frantically look around the room for her but he can't find her. He looks down at his shaking hands and realizes that the whole thing must have been an illusion.

"Huh?" Bulma utters as she watches the shaken Tako. In her hand is a clipboard with some papers on it. "Are you okay?" She asks but Tako doesn't reply at first. He just continues to stare at his hands until finally snapping out of his trance.

He looks over at Bulma as he brings his hand to his face. "It...was all an illusion?" Tako whispers as he tries to convince himself that what he is saying is true. It felt so real, though. He floats down to the floor as he continues to struggle with what he just experienced.

Bulma walks over to him and places her hand on his shoulder. Her voice is soft and caring as she asks, "What's the matter?"

Tako shakes his head and takes a step to the side as he says, "It's nothing. What are you doing here?"

Bulma still has a worried look on her face but decides not to press the topic. She presents the clipboard to Tako and says, "I have a job for you to do." The paper on the clipboard has a series of addresses on it with a line next to each of them. A pen is attached to the clipboard by a chain. It is held in place by a grip near the top.

"A job?"

"Every week, Rasha flies to each of the shield towers and inspects them for any damage, tampering or wear. Since she isn't here, I'm going to need you to do it," Bulma explains as she continues to hold the clipboard out to Tako.

Tako looks at the clipboard before he begins to lift back into the air. "No," He replies before he resumes his training.

"No?" Bulma repeats before stomping her foot. "This isn't a request Tako! This needs to be done!"

"Get Yamcha to do it."

"He's currently assisting with some construction and Ichigo is studying." While she is a Z Fighter, Ichigo still sets time aside twice a week to study and learn. "That leaves you as the only one. Now get down here and take this clipboard."

Tako doesn't bother replying to Bulma's demand. He continues to train, which just upsets Bulma even more. "Listen here Tako! This is a very important job. What if one of the shield towers has been tampered with and Piccolo attacks? If all of the towers aren't operating at one hundred percent, the shield might not stand up against him! Do you want that to happen?" Bulma finishes talking and Tako pauses mid-punch. He won't be responsible for more lost of life.

"I don't know what I'm doing though," Tako admits as he flies down to the floor.

Bulma smiles at his change of mind before explaining, "The systems are really simple. I designed them after all," Bulma adds a little boastful chuckle at the end of her sentence. She reaches into her lab coat pocket and pulls out two thick, square cards. One is a light blue color while the other one is dark red. "The red card allows you access to the towers while the blue card is a diagnostic system. You insert the blue card into the computer, it scans the tower and the computer will tell you if anything is wrong. It's that simple." As Bulma explains, Tako slides the training weights off and throws them to the side. He takes the cards and the clipboard from Bulma as soon as she finishes talking. "Thank you Tako. If any of the towers need work or if you need anything, just give me a call," Bulma says before exiting the dojo.

After slipping on his shoes, Tako departs from Capsule Corp. His first destination is the shield tower that is a few blocks behind the Capsule Corp building. The tall metal rod is surrounded by a chain link metal fence. The front gate is held shut by several chains that have been weaved through the holes in the fence. In the center of the chains is a large padlock. Barbed wire is across the top of the fence. While the fence may keep most people out, it has no defense against simply flying over it. Tako walks around the tower and at first, doesn't see the entrance. He walks around the tower a few more times before finally spotting a small slit in the wall. The hole is just big enough for the card key that Bulma gave him. He inserts the card and the slit quickly sucks it in.

He takes a step back and he begins to hear beeping coming from the other side of the wall. He assumes that must be it reading the card key. After it finishes, Tako hears a loud 'ding' sound and the card key pops back out. He takes the card key back and returns it to his pocket. The wall to the left of the slit splits in half and slides open, revealing a complicated room filled with wires and blinking lights. Tako enters the room but he doesn't understand the first thing about it. In the center of the room is a series of twelve metal shelves. Each shelf is attached to a tall, single metal beam that runs from the floor to the ceiling. On each shelf is a computer, as wide as the shelves themselves. Multicolored wires stretch and twist out from the wall and connect to the computers while more wires extend from computers to computers.

Tako looks around the confusing room and doesn't see any spots for him to insert the other card key. He is about to call Bulma when he notices a small tube tv in the upper right corner by the door. The bulky tv is being held up by a shelf that is bolted to the wall. Attached to the bottom of the shelf is a thin block of metal. In the center is a slit, the same size as the one outside. The words 'All Good' is currently being displayed on the tv in green lettering. Tako notices a step ladder below the tv but he doesn't need that to reach the slit. He floats a few feet up, taking care not to hit his head on anything and inserts the blue card into the metal box. The words disappear off the tv and the box starts to make a loud humming noise. A few seconds later, the words 'All Good' returns and the card slides back out.

"That must mean everything is good," Tako figures as he writes the word 'Good' on the line next to the address. He returns the card to his pocket and exits the room. The doors do not automatically close behind him and he doesn't see any switches or buttons. He tries the card key again, and after the computer reads the key, the doors slide shut. Tako removes the card key and moves on to the next tower.

The next eight towers are no different. Each one is 'All Good' as the tv screens suggest. As Tako flies towards the tenth tower, he decides to land on a nearby skyscraper's roof. He looks down at the clipboard and at the remaining three towers. Tako didn't even know Rasha did this every week. Are there other assignments that she does that he doesn't know about? What about El and Ichigo? Do they have assignments too? Is he the only one who isn't helping out the city?

As Tako's mind turns these questions over and over in an attempt to find an answer, he hears a young girl's voice from up in the air behind him ask, "Whatcha doing?"

He knows who the voice belongs to and doesn't even turn around as he says, "Hello Stocking."

The young girl lands on the roof before skipping up to his side. Her hands behind her back, she leans forward and turns to look up at Tako. He ignores her gaze and continues to focus on the clipboard. "Whatcha doing?" She asks again, determined to get her answer. In her hands is her trusty teddy bear.

Realizing that Stocking isn't going to leave him alone, he decides to answer her question. "I'm helping your mother out with something," As he talks, he notices something about Stocking. Tako takes his eyes off of the clipboard and looks down at Stocking as he asks, "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Nah, I decided to skip school today!" Stocking cheerfully announces as she stands up straight. Stocking jumps up onto the ledge of the building and presses her hand against her forehead. She looks out across the horizon as she declares, "I'm out looking for bad guys and evildoers!"

Tako shakes his head at the girl's words before he ascends into the air. He doesn't understand why the school never calls Bulma or Yamcha whenever she doesn't show up. He wonders if maybe the school assumes it's some sort of training that Stocking is a part of. Similar to how Ichigo gets private lessons twice a week.

"Hey! Can I help?" Stocking asks as she notices Tako lifting into the sky.

"No," He sternly replies before flying towards the next tower.

Stocking is not about to take 'no' for an answer, though. She follows after Tako and proceeds to repeatedly ask, "Why not? Huh? Why not?"

At first, Tako tries to ignore the girl, hoping she will get bored and leave. By the time they almost reach the tower, it becomes obvious that she isn't going to stop. Tako quickly turns around and sharply answers, "Cause I said no!"

Stocking is taken back by Tako's tone but she isn't deterred for long. "Why? I can help! And Tama can too!" Stocking proudly holds her bear out in front of her.

Tako lets out a groan at her refusal to leave before noticing something peculiar over her shoulder. Quite a ways from them, high in the sky, is the figure of a person. At first, Tako thinks it could be Yamcha or even Ichigo before he notices something unusual. He doesn't sense anything coming from the figure. Even if the person had extraordinary ki suppressing abilities, he should still be able to sense something. The figure isn't do anything except for floating in the air. It even appears to be spinning.

Noticing Tako's serious expression, Stocking asks, "What is it?" before turning around. She notices the figure and quickly asks, "Is that a bad guy?" Before Tako can say anything, Stocking shouts "Hey! You! Are you a bad guy?!" Stocking's shout startles the figure and it begins to fly away.

"Way to go Stocking," Tako scolds as he tosses her the clipboard before taking off after the figure.

Even though there is a considerable distant between them, Tako is fast enough to close the gap rather quickly. He rushes around to the front of the figure and extends his arms and legs out, his whole body forming an X. This causes the figure to stop in his tracks, giving Tako a clear view of the person. It's obviously not Yamcha or Ichigo, in fact, Tako doesn't know who it is. The figure is an anthropomorphic bear, with brown fur. The bear is wearing baggy white pants, with a gold belt around his waist and a black, unbuttoned vest. In the center of the belt are the letters P and G. The P is a solid blue while the G is a rainbow of colors. Unlike most of the bears that Tako knows or have seen, this one is much thinner and shorter. Tako isn't an expect of anthropomorphic animal ages but he would guess that this bear is about the same age as him.

"Who are you?" Tako asks the clearly frighten bear.

Instead of answering him, the bear drifts back and holds out its paw. Tako brings his arms closer together in preparation for an attack but nothing happens. The bear brings its paw towards its face and studies it before extending it out towards Tako again. Tako keeps his guard up as the bear struggles to do whatever it is trying to do. After a few moments, a ball of ki finally appears in the center of the bear's paw. It grows until it is the size of a soccer ball before the bear launches it at Tako. Tako stands his ground and prepares to swat the ball away. However, he underestimated its power. The moment his hand comes into contact with the ki ball, it explodes, covering Tako in smoke. The bear turns around and flies the other direction as a stunned Tako falls out of the smoke cloud. Tako quickly opens his eyes and flips around before blasting off towards the bear.

Stocking tosses the clipboard and charges towards their foe. She starts throwing punches with her right hand while safely clutching her teddy bear with her left. The bear evades the girl's attack before flying up and over her. He counters with his claws, ready to slash to the girl. Stocking holds up her teddy bear in an attempt to block the attack and while she is unharmed, the teddy isn't. "Oh no! Tama!" Stocking cries out as the center part of her bear falls to the city below. White stuffing begins to rain down as Stocking's focus shifts from her foe to her injured teddy. The bear brings his other paw around to slash her but Tako delivers a hard kick to his face.

The impact knocks their foe back and Tako follows up with several punches to the face and a couple body blows. Tako ends his combo with a well-placed punch to the check but the bear counters with his claws. Tako barely avoids the sharp attack. The bear drifts back and holds out both of his hands. A ball of ki forms in each hand, much quicker than before. Tako prepares to deflect them when Stocking rushes past him.

"How dare you hurt Tama!" She shouts as she brings her fist back. In her rash behavior, she didn't think about the ki blasts.

The bear fires his attack at Stocking but Tako rushes in and grabs the girl. He spins her around and takes the full force of the blasts against his back. "Argh!" Tako yells out. The bear takes this opportunity to retreat.

"Tako?! I'm sorry!" Stocking cries as she realizes what she has done.

"Don't worry about it," Tako replies as he lets go of her. The attack tore a hole in his clothes and burned his back. "Go get your father. I'll try to stop him," Tako orders before he blasts off.

The bear speeds through the air towards the outskirts of town. He looks over his shoulder and notices that Tako is right on his tail. "I won't go back!" The bear shouts in a panicky tone as he spins around and fires a ki blast at Tako.

"Go back?" Tako says, not understand what he means. Tako leans out of the way of the ki blast and continues to follow the bear. Tako's mind suddenly replays his own blast striking that neighborhood back at West City. Realizing what that means, he looks back at the blast and sees it flying towards a building. Acting fast, Tako fires his own ki blast. The blast races through the air and luckily collides with the bear's blast. People scream and take cover as the two blasts explode in the air.

Meanwhile, back at Capsule Corp, Yamcha has just stepped out of the shower. The news is currently on tv and the reporter is covering the recent fighting. Yamcha steps out of the bathroom to grab his clothes out of the closet when he notices Tako on the tv.

"...sure who this mysterious person Tako is fighting. Is he an agent of Piccolo's? Another one of his children or perhaps we are dealing with a new threat to the city?" As the reporter talks, the news shows clips of the fight.

Seeing his daughter and Tako fighting, Yamcha knows what he must do.

The bear finally stops flying. Not because he is tired or ready to fight, but because he has reached the edge of the shield. In front of him is the gate to the outside. The bear frantically searches for an escape as Tako lands behind him.

"I want answers. Who are you?"

The bear continues to look around as he replies in a frightened tone, "I don't want to go back!"

"Go back to where?" Tako asks, still having no idea where the bear came from.

The bear grabs his head as he begins to panic. "I won't go back! I won't be their experiment anymore! No more needles! No more wires!" The bear suddenly thrusts his hand out towards the gate. He grabs his arm with his other hand to help steady his aim as a ball of ki rapidly starts to form.

"No! Stop!" Tako shouts as he rushes to stop the bear's attack but he isn't quick enough.

The bear fires the attack and it bursts through the gate. The outside of the gate is shielded but the gate on the inside isn't. The blast easily destroys the gate and continues to travel, melting the snow around it before finally colliding with some rocks. His way now clear, the bear runs through the ruins of the gate before taking off into the air. Tako rushes outside and while the shield is still holding, there is a now a gaping hole at the base of it. He watches the bear fly away. He knows he can't follow him, that he has to protect the now exposed North City.

Tako turns around and studies the remains of the gate when he hears a voice from behind him. The voice sends the hairs on the back of his neck on end. He knows that voice, the voice from his nightmares. "Well, isn't this our lucky day?" Bell says as the snow crunches as she lands.

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES**

Thank you for reading Chapter 10! I appreciate everyone who has read up to this point.

Who is the mysterious bear? Where did he come from?

Originally the character was human but I asked myself, "You know, you don't see a whole lot of anthropomorphic Earthling fighters in DBZ." So I decided, why not? I mean, if Master Roshi can destroy the moon and that not affect Earth in any negative way or someone can turn into a giant monkey or one of the strongest beings is an Egyptian Cat, why can't I have a bear fighter?

Now that the city is exposed, can Tako hold Bell at bay? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age!

If anyone is interested, I have started a forum for this story. Over there I would like to learn about your opinions as well as answer any questions anyone might have. Link is on my profile page.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 - The Arrival of Evil**

Puffy, gray clouds drift slowly through the sky. The sun struggles to shine through the few breaks and holes in the clouds. Seconds ago, Tako could feel the cold air biting on his skin. He doesn't even notice it now. His entire focus is on the monster in front of him.

"What's the matter? I thought you would be happy to see me," Bell taunts as her tail glides over the snow. "I have missed you Tako. I hope you are ready to play again."

Tako assumes an attack stance as he hears a voice from above Bell say, "Hmm...interesting." Bugle descends from the sky but he doesn't land on the ground. He decides to float several feet above it instead. "After all of our attempts to break through the shield, who knew that someone would break out?" Bugle looks at the wreckage behind Tako as he strokes his long chin.

"Think of all the yummy people on the other side!" Banjo proclaims as he peeks through the hole. The roof of the gate is still mostly in one piece.

Tako quickly turns around upon hearing the fat monster's words. He was so focused on Bell, he didn't even sense Banjo approaching. He knows he can take Bell and Bugle but not all three. If Banjo gets inside the city, he can cause serious damage.

Noticing the look on Tako's face, Bugle comments, "Where one of us goes, we all go."

"Where is the one who murdered our brother? She needs to suffer for what she did," Bell hands curl into fists as she speaks.

"To get to her, you have to go through me!" Tako shouts before twisting around and firing a ki blast at Banjo. The blast explodes against Banjo's side, covering him in smoke. Tako kicks off from the snow and charges at Bell. Bugle calmly creates some distance between the two fighters just as Tako throws his first punch at Bell.

Bell easily dodges the advertised punch and a high-speed battle unfolds. Snow is thrown into the air as the fighters glide around the area. Neither fighter has a clear advantage over the other, with some punches connecting while others missing.

Bell lets out a chuckle before taunting, "The boy has been training! Looks like all those green plants you humans eat has really paid off!" Tako ignores her taunt and keeps his mind on the fight.

Banjo coughs as the smoke begins to dissipate. He watches Bell and Tako exchange punches before turning his attention back towards the ruined gate. He returns to the fight as Bugle flies over to him.

Bell suddenly catches one of Tako's fist, surprising the Z Fighter. "It's time I show you my real power," Bell proclaims before delivering a powerful kick to Tako's stomach.

The kick throws Tako back several feet and he slams into the snow. Bell's tail strikes the ground a couple of times as she begins to power up. A dark green aura forms around her as she lets out a howl. Tako springs back to his feet and prepares to resume the fighting.

Bell dashes towards Tako and delivers a hard punch to Tako's stomach. She begins to pummel Tako before ending her combo with an uppercut. The punch launches Tako into the air but he catches himself in midair. He flips forward just as Bell bends her knees. She launches herself towards Tako. She resumes her onslaught, forcing Tako onto the defense. He manages to block and evade a few attacks but fails to stop a punch to his chest. The shock from the attack travels through his entire body. Bell places her hands together and brings them down against Tako's head, sending him crashing into the ground.

"I'm hungry," Banjo complains as he looks away from the fight again and back to the city.

Banjo's comment annoys Bugle. "You just ate a couple hours ago."

"Yeah...but that adult was kinda sick and not very filling."

"I don't understand why you choose to eat such nasty things anyway. Why can't you be like us and Father and just drink water?"

Banjo begins to rub his protruding stomach as he talks. "Cause humans are so tasty!"

Tako returns to feet and looks at Bell. A smile forms on the monsters face as she says, "You have gotten stronger. You are still no match for me but at least you will die fighting."

"I'm not even trying yet," Tako proclaims but Bell doesn't believe him.

"It makes little difference. A human can never match my power."

While Bell is unfazed, Bugle finds Tako's announcment to be odd. "He's not even trying? He must be bluffing. Why would he hold back against us?." Banjo says nothing as he continues to peer through the hole.

Tako grips his fists and begins to power up. An aura appears around Tako as he continues to scream. The snow around Tako's feet begins to melt from the heat of his aura. Tako blasts off the ground and slugs Bell across the face. He brings his other fist around and slams it into her side before he begins to pummel her. Bell struggles to defend herself against Tako's sudden power increase. She isn't the only one that notices the change in the fight.

Bugle slaps Banjo on his back as he orders, "Get ready."

Tako continues to push Bell through the air, unaware of her tail moving towards him. Tako throws another punch towards Bell's head but she swiftly moves out of the way. A quick smirk crosses Bell's face before her tail wraps tightly around Tako's neck. Tako struggles to pull her tail off of his neck but when it doesn't budge, he changes his tactic. He points his palm at Bell's face and begins to charge a ki attack. Acting quick, Bell flicks her tail and throws Tako towards the ground. However, that doesn't stop Tako's attack. He fires his blast at Bell, just as Banjo fires a large mouth blast at him. The blasts hit their targets at the same time, covering the battlefield in smoke.

Tako falls out the sky and lands on the snow. Bell continues to float in the sky. She appears to be injured though, with bruises and a few cuts on her body.

"Good job Banjo," Bugle praises as Banjo pats his stomach.

"Can I eat him now?"

"Tako!" Ichigo shouts as she flies through the wreckage and past Banjo and Bugle.

Tako lets out a groan as he sits up. Ichigo stops next to him but isn't sure what she can do to help.

"What are you doing here Ichigo?" Tako utters as he stands up. He is not happy to see her.

"I-I saw the smoke and sensed the fighting so I thought I could..." Ichigo stutters as Tako looks up at Bell.

"You can't do anything. You need to go back and get Yamcha." Tako's casual dismissal of her stings.

"B-But, all I want to do-"

"All you will do is get yourself killed! Leave!" Tako shouts, his raised voice causes Ichigo to take a few steps back and flinches.

Bugle smiles at the turmoil in front of him. "I know what she can do," His voice draws Ichigo and Tako's attention towards him. "She can be a snack for Banjo."

Banjo licks his lips as he adds, "Yeah! I bet you will go good with a side of mustard!"

"M-Mustard?" Ichigo repeats as she takes a step back. Tako rushes around and stands between Banjo and Ichigo.

"I would be more worried about your own life than the life of that girl," Bell comments as she continues to float in the air.

Banjo runs towards Tako, his arms spread out as he runs. Tako brings his arms up into an X just as Banjo throws his fist forward. Banjo's fist slams into Tako's arms and a wave of energy pulses out from the impact. Tako's arms begin to throb from the attack. Despite not looking like it, Banjo has a much stronger punch than Bell. While Tako blocks Banjo's punch, Bell swoops down and kicks Ichigo in the side of the head, sending her flying into the snow.

His back now exposed, Tako turns to his side to try and take on both of the monsters at once. Bell brings her arm around and goes for Tako's neck but he manages to catch the attack. This leaves him open for a gut punch from Banjo. The two monsters begin to attack Tako and he tries his best to block and counter each of their attacks. However, he is no match for both of them. Bell ends the beatdown by slamming her leg against his stomach, throwing him backward. He hits the ground and slides to a stop.

Ichigo returns to her feet and upon seeing the opportunity to strike, charges at Banjo. She headbutts him in the back, sending him through the air and down to the ground. Seeing her brother go flying infuriates Bell, who whips her tail around and tries to strike Ichigo in the face. Ichigo manages to bring her arms up in time to block the attack by the force still throws her to the side.

Back at Capsule Corp, Bulma is trying to deal with the panicking city. "Make sure everyone gets to the shelters! I need more power to the shields! Where is Mordechai?" Bulma shouts at the workers inside the Command Center. Technicians and scientist scramble about as they try to follow orders during this hectic time. The lights have all changed to a deep red color, letting everyone know the center is on high alert.

"Ma'am, the shields are already operating at one hundred percent!" One female technician tells Bulma while sitting at her desk. "To increase the strength of the shields, we are going to have to take the power from somewhere in the city."

"Reroute power from the farms and the areas on the outskirts of the city! We have to close that hole!" Bulma orders as she points at the technician. The technician accepts her order and begins to type rapidly on the keyboard. Bulma points to another technician as she orders, "Get me Mayor Shicho!" The technician nods as Bulma turns to a technician on the other side of the room. "I need a status report on the shelters!"

"Ma'am, I have Mayor Shicho on the line for you!" The technician shouts before the digital map of North City disappears from the view screen. In its place, a live stream of a short, middle-aged man begins to form. He is mostly bald, with some light gray hair on the sides of his head and a few strains combed over the top. He is wearing a navy suit with a black tie and appears to be standing on a street corner. His eyes are closed and they resemble crescent moons.

"Mayor, how goes the evacuations?" Bulma asks the moment the image clears up.

The Mayor begins to talk but the noise of the alarms blaring and the sound of the surrounding people makes it hard for Bulma to hear him. "I am down here at Fourth and Tomato. We seem to have everything under control at the moment. What is the word on the shield?"

"We are drawing power from some parts of the city to strengthen and expand the shield. With more energy, the shield can extend over the wreckage and seal the hole," Bulma explains as Mordechai enters the room. He walks up next to Bulma and she notices him out of the corner of her eye. "Mordechai! Where have you been!?"

"S-Sorry, I was...um...helping to evacuate Research and Development. The Doctor finally answered our message. He said we can...um...start funneling people into the tunnels and he will make sure they get to safety."

"Did you hear that Mayor?" Bulma asks but she doesn't wait for him to answer. She goes right her next sentence. "After you fill up that shelter, start leading the people into the tunnels!"

"Are you sure? Last time they collapsed on us." Bulma turns towards Mordechai for confirmation and he nods his head.

"The tunnels will be fine."

"Okay. I will start sending people into them. Bulma, do what must be done," The Mayor orders before ending the call.

"You heard the man! Let's get to work!"

Mordechai steps closer to Bulma as she says, "Dammit! If I wouldn't have designed the shield to stop at the gates, this wouldn't be happening."

Mordechai lowers his voice to a whisper, he doesn't need anyone else hearing what he is about to say. "Maybe it is time we use the Gem Project."

"No, it is too risky. One of them already escaped and the second one is not ready. They could cause even more damage."

"But Dr. Gero says the second one is mostly ready. We may not get a second chance Bulma. We can't rely on a bunch of kids anymore."

"We would be dead without those kids. That second machine could go crazy again and Gero might not be able to stop it this time. I trust my husband and the Z Fighters," Bulma finishes giving her answer right as a technician says, "Ma'am! Your husband is on the line!"

Mordechai turns away from Bulma and frowns at the mention of Yamcha. He takes caution to make sure Bulma doesn't notice him frowning or overhear what he is about to say. "I don't."

This time, the viewscreen doesn't change. Yamcha's voice comes through the speakers on the viewscreen as he asks, "Bulma! What's the status on the shield?"

"We are drawing power from the city and are going to try to expand the shield. However, we can't do that until Tako and Ichigo are back inside."

"Start expanding the shield. I will slip under it before it finishes."

Bulma takes a step forward at Yamcha's order and shouts, "No! If we do that, you three will be trapped out there with them!"

"The longer that hole is opened, the greater the risk becomes! If one of Piccolo's children slips through they will kill thousands!"

"But..." Bulma pauses and grits her teeth. She knows he is right but she also knows that once outside, they will probably be killed by those monsters.

"Ma'am...what are your orders?" One of the technicians timidly asks.

Bulma continues to stare at the viewscreen as she struggles to come up with an answer. All eyes turn to Bulma as everyone awaits her response. After a few moments of wrestling with the options, Bulma lowers her head and orders, "Expand the shield."

Yamcha soars through the air as the shield begins to flicker with a mix of yellow and blue colors. Yamcha descends towards the destroyed gate as the shield begins to grow. It starts to expand past the gate and Yamcha dives underneath it, barely slipping by.

He whisks pass Bugle and lands on bended knees. His entrance draws everyone's attention.

Ichigo, still on the ground, shouts "Master!"

"Oh look, it's Yamcha. Have you come to lose your other eye?" Bell taunts as her tail bobs in the air.

Yamcha doesn't reply to Bell's taunt. Instead, he charges at her and brings his hands up to resemble fangs. "Wolf Fang Hurricane Fist!" Yamcha shouts before rapidly striking Bell with his hands. He strikes with such speed, his arms appear as nothing more than blurs. He finishes by hitting Bell in the chest with his open palms before delivering a kick to her chin. The attack knocks her up into the air and she lands several feet away. Yamcha extends his hands out, palm touching palm, before pulling his arms back to his side. "Ka...Me...Ha..." Yamcha begins to chant as energy starts building in between his hands. Suddenly, he senses an even bigger power level approaching from the distant. He recognizes the dark energy. Only one person has that kind of power.

"Piccolo," Yamcha says as he looks up into the sky.

Piccolo comes to a stop high above the battle. His Demon Clan robes sway in the wind as he stares back at Yamcha. His father now here, Bugle flies closer to him. Piccolo looks up from Yamcha and out at the city in front of him. He begins to speak and everyone in the area can hear his voice inside their heads.

"For years, this shield stood as a deterrence, as one last opposition to my rule. Today...it will fall. Today will mark the end of this technological wonder and the end of the Z Fighters. With its collapse, I will finally obtain the Four-Star Dragonball. With the power of Shenron, I will open a portal to the Demon Realm and I will be the god of both Earth and the Demon Realm!"

"You are the god of nothing!" Tako shouts up at him.

"That shield has resisted your attacks before and it will do it again!" Yamcha adds, confident in his wife's design.

Piccolo looks down and answers, "I have developed a new technique for the sole purpose of destroying this barrier."

Piccolo presses his right index and middle fingers together and points them towards the ground. A couple strains of electricity dances around his arm as he brings his fingers close to his forehead. A ball of ki appears above his fingertips. The ki ball flickers as Piccolo begins to focus more energy into it. Strains of electricity travel out from the ki ball and into the air.

"We have to stop that attack!" Yamcha orders as he can sense the large build up of power.

Tako and Ichigo take off into the air but Bell flies at Ichigo. She grabs the young girl and hurls her at Tako, knocking him out of the sky. Yamcha races pass her but Banjo blocks his path. Yamcha charges a ki ball in his hand as Banjo tackles him. He fires the blast as they speed towards the ground. Bugle notices the incoming attack and jumps in front of his father, taking the blast to the chest. The blast was strong enough to knock Bugle unconscious and out of the air. Banjo and Yamcha slam into the ground as Piccolo finishes charging.

"Special...Beam...Cannon!" Piccolo shouts before thrusting his fingers towards the shield. Two beams are unleashed from his fingers, with one remaining straight and the other beam coiling around it. The beam slams into the shield and at first, it looks like the beam is going to pierce through. The shield bends inward from the attack but appears to be resisting the beams.

Back at Capsule Corp, an alarm is blaring inside the Command Center. A large warning sign has appeared on the viewscreen with the words 'Shield under attack' right beneath it. "Divert more power to the shields! We can not let that attack through!" Bulma orders.

"Ma'am! One of the towers is overloading!" One of the technicians reports as she stares at her computer screen. On her screen is a map of North City and the tower closest to Capsule Corp is flashing red.

"What?! That's not possible!" Bulma shouts mere seconds before the entire Capsule Corp building begins to shake. "What now?"

"The tower just exploded!" The technician reports as the tower goes completely black.

The Z Fighters hear the tower explode and can see the smoke rising up. The shield is unable to resist the Special Beam Cannon any longer. The attack shatters through the shield and travels through the air until it strikes another tower. The beam rips through the middle of the tower before colliding into a large building. The beam cuts through the building before disapparating. The top half of the tower falls down onto some nearby buildings, crashing through until it reaches the ground. The large building collapses down on top of itself.

The Z Fighters look on in horror as the shield that protects North City completely disappears.

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES**

And Chapter Eleven is finished! I thank you for taking the time to read this chapter and I hoped you enjoyed it!

With the shield down, will North City survive? Is this the end of our heroes and the human race? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z - The Dark Age!

There is also a forum for The Dark Age where you can post your opinions, thoughts, and questions about the story. Any and all feedback is very much appreciated! Thank you.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 - Clash! The King of the World VS The Last Z Fighter**

The Z Fighters stand frozen in place. The unthinkable has happened. The sound of the alarms blaring and of people screaming mix together and echo through the cold air. Tako groans in frustration as Ichigo takes a shaky step backward.

"Banjo. Go eat," Piccolo orders as he motions to the city with his head.

Banjo looks up at his father as he licks his lips. He begins to drool at the thought of all the delicious people inside the city. He lets out a roar before jumping into the air.

"Ichigo!" Yamcha shouts as she continues to shake. She slowly looks at Yamcha, fear is written all over her face. "Go after Banjo! You have to save the city!"

"B-By myself?" Ichigo squeaks, her voice as shaky as she is.

Yamcha flashes her an encouraging smile as he says, "You can do it. Just believe in yourself and remember what you are fighting for." His smile fades as turns towards Piccolo. "I will stop Piccolo. Here and now." Yamcha finishes talking before he lifts into the air to face his foe.

Ichigo swallows hard as she tries to overcome the crippling fear. After a few moments, she takes off into the air towards the city but Bell suddenly appears in front of her.

"It's rude to interrupt someone during dinner!" Bell tells Ichigo before receiving a kick to the face, courtesy of Tako.

Tako stares down at the monster as he orders Ichigo, "Go. Her fight is with me." He descends to the ground as Bell stands to her feet.

"You are persistent," Bell says as she dusts the snow off of herself. Her lips curve into a cruel smile as she says, "That's okay. I will have my fun with you before I start destroying the city."

"You will never get a chance," Tako confidently replies as he assumes an attack stance.

Up in the sky, Yamcha and Piccolo stare at each other. "I'm surprised you managed to hang on this long Yamcha. While everyone was dying honorably and on their feet, you decided to cower behind a shield."

Yamcha, not letting Piccolo's taunting get to him, declares to the monster, "Your reign is over. I am going to put an end to you. I'm going to avenge everyone!"

Piccolo smirks at Yamcha's statement, clearly not intimidated by it. "Goku and Tien failed to beat me. You have no chance."

Through with talking, Yamcha dashes towards Piccolo and throws the first punch. Piccolo dodges the attack before countering with his own. The two fighters begin to throw punches at incredible speed. Their fists occasionally clash and the impact sends out small ripples through the air. The high-speed struggle moves them further and further away from the city. Yamcha suddenly breaks away and assumes a familiar stance.

"Wolf Fang Fist!" Yamcha shouts as he charges at Piccolo.

He unleashes a barrage of fast strikes but Piccolo avoids all of them. All except for the last strike. Piccolo momentarily flinches, giving Yamcha the time he needs to deliver a kick to Piccolo's chin. The force throws Piccolo higher into the air but with a quick flip, Piccolo prepares to counter. Piccolo thrusts his hand at Yamcha, causing the Z Fighter to prepare for an energy attack. However, Piccolo doesn't fire a ki blast. Instead, his arm suddenly extends and grabs a surprised Yamcha by the face. With a furious snap, Piccolo hurls Yamcha towards the snowy ground. The Z Fighter collides with the ground, throwing snow into the air. Piccolo grabs his right arm with his left hand as he points his palm at Yamcha.

"Destructive Wave!" Piccolo shouts seconds before a beam of green ki fires from his hand.

Yamcha shakes off his collision with the ground and looks up to see the incoming blast. He crosses his arms into an X in front of his face as the blast collides with him. The explosion covers part of the area in smoke and throws Yamcha backward. His shoulder makes contact with the cold ground and he slides to a stop. Although he is bruised and his clothes torn, he is not ready to give up. He cups his hands towards Piccolo before pulling them back to his side. "Ka...Me...Ha...Me..." Yamcha begins to chant as a ball of energy starts to form in his hands. Piccolo continues to float in the air, his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. "HA!" Yamcha shouts as he thrusts his hands upward. The warm energy wave races through the chilly air towards Piccolo. The intense heat from the Kamehameha causes the snow around Yamcha to melt. Piccolo keeps his arms crossed as he pulls his head back. He snaps his head forward and fires a beam of ki from his mouth.

The two beams collide and begin to push back and forth. Blue and green energy streams fall away from the struggle. At first, it seems that the two beams are evenly matched but Piccolo's beam begins to overtake Yamcha's Kamehameha. Yamcha focuses more energy into his blast but it's in vain. Yamcha breaks the beam struggle and dives out of the way of the incoming blast. It collides with the ground, throwing snow and smoke up into the air. Yamcha may have avoided the blunt of the attack but the shockwave still hits him, pushing him away.

Piccolo descends to the ground, his pride in his attack showing on his face. Yamcha quickly flips back to his feet, still full of fighting spirit. Piccolo, sensing his opponent, chooses not to wait for the smoke to clear. He kicks off from the ground and flies right through the smoke, catching Yamcha by surprise. Piccolo's fist connects with Yamcha's face, pushing Yamcha back. Yamcha counters with a kick to Piccolo's shoulder before a high-speed struggle erupts. The two fighters exchange blows as they travel up into the air. Even though Yamcha is giving it his all, he is unable to match Piccolo. He is able to get in one or two punches for every three of Piccolos. One such punch from Piccolo is stronger than the previous ones and it sends Yamcha reeling through the air. Yamcha catches himself before wiping the blood from his mouth.

Piccolo frowns at his foe. He speaks with a disappointed tone as he says, "You are just as weak as when we fought at West City. I had hoped the last Z Fighter would have gone out with a bang...not a whimper."

Yamcha forms a ball of ki in each hand as he replies, "Don't count me out just yet!" Yamcha lets out a war cry as he fires a barrage of ki at Piccolo. Piccolo floats back before he starts swatting the ki blasts away. Yamcha continues his attack and his perseverance pays off when one ki blast manages to hit Piccolo in the cheek. That single ki blast knocks Piccolo's rhythm off, allowing the ki barrage to slam into him. Yamcha seizes the opportunity in front of him and begins to fire faster. He finishes his assault by firing two beams of ki into the smoke cloud. He hears them explode as they make contact. Yamcha knows this isn't the end for the tyrant. Breathing heavier than before, he assumes an attack stance and prepares for Piccolo's next move. Before the cloud can fade, Piccolo flies out with a kick. Yamcha manages to avoid the attack. Piccolo flies past him before stopping. He spins around and flies back with another kick. This time, Yamcha is unable to dodge it. The kick strikes Yamcha across the eye and sends him hurling to the ground.

As Yamcha falls through the air, Piccolo's eyes start to glow with a red color. Yamcha manages to flip around in the air and land safely on his feet. He looks up just in time to witness Piccolo firing laser-like beams from his eyes. With no time to dodge, the beams hit Yamcha in the chest. Instead of piercing through him, these beams explode. Piccolo starts to chuckle as the smoke from the explosion starts to float into the air.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - Stand Tall! Ichigo Stares Down The Hungry Monster!**

"Everyone, please evacuate to the nearest bunker. The shield has fallen. This is not a drill," The automatic message, recorded by Bulma, loops over the loud speakers. Throughout the city, large tunnels have risen from the ground. People shove and push as they all try to squeeze into the tunnels. Police officers, with the aid of Capsule Corp employees, are trying to keep the throng of people as calm as possible. However, with each passing minute, more explosions can be heard across the city.

Banjo is destroying everything in his path, occasionally stopping to scarf down some debris. Banjo sniffs the air before loudly proclaiming, "Humans always taste better when they are seasoned with fear!" Banjo hurls several ki blasts at some nearby buildings, causing them to collapse.

Ichigo quickly locates Banjo but doesn't confront him right away. She remains in the air and tries to psyche herself up. "Okay Ichigo, you got this. Go down there and give it everything you got. You have to stop Banjo and save the city." Her words do nothing to stop her from shaking. She takes a couple of deep breaths before flying down to the ground. She lands a few yards from the rampaging monster. Ichigo points at Banjo and orders, "S-Stop," but her voice is so timid, Banjo doesn't hear her. She tries again, this time a little louder. "H-Hey. I-I said stop." And like before, Banjo continues his destruction. He pauses for a moment to eat some rubble, still oblivious to Ichigo. She knows she has to get his attention somehow or else he will continue destroying the city. She takes a deep breath before holding her hand out towards Banjo. A ball of ki appears for a few seconds before she fires it at the monster. The ball curves in the air and strikes Banjo in the shoulder. It doesn't inflict any damage, but it does get his attention.

Banjo stops and examines his shoulder before glancing behind him. "Oh, the little snack wants to fight!" He opens his mouth into a grin, showing his razor sharp teeth. Ichigo prepares to fight but her stance is loose. At first, Banjo doesn't attack her. Noticing how scared she is, he decides to taunt her. "What's the matter? Are you scared?" Ichigo struggles to keep herself from shaking. "I can smell the fear on you," Banjo sniffs the air as he takes a couple of steps towards her. "You are going to taste delicious!" And with that, he charges at her.

Ichigo tries to move but her legs won't work. She stands there, petrified with fear as Banjo rapidly closes the distance between them. The imposing beast brings his arm back but Ichigo is still frozen. Mere seconds before Banjo's fist could hit her, Ichigo jumps out of the way. Banjo's fist collides with the ground, sending out web-like cracks across the ground. Ichigo's landing is interrupted by the cracks, causing her to lose her balance. Banjo and Ichigo stare at each other for a few seconds before Ichigo gets up into a run. Banjo charges after her; he is not about to let a snack escape.

Ichigo narrowly manages to turn down a side alley but Banjo is not as agile as she is. He attempts to turn into the alley but his momentum keeps going and he slips and falls. Ichigo glances over her shoulder as she continues running. She watches Banjo get back to his feet and charge down the alley. She knows she can't run forever.

"I am a Z Fighter," She says to herself as she exits the alley. In front of her is a fountain with a sidewalk around it. The fountain has a dragon on top and water is shooting out of its mouth. Out further from the sidewalk is a road that circles the fountain. The road branches off down several different paths. Abandon cars litter the road. Ichigo can hear that some of the cars are still running. Some debris from the nearby destroyed buildings managed to land in the area. Ichigo stops running and turns around to face her opponent. She tries to overcome her fears by telling herself, "Everyone in the city needs me. Yamcha believes in me. I have to do this!" As the last words leave her lips, Banjo exits the alley.

Banjo stops charging at her once he realizes that she isn't running anymore. "Have you given up? Are you ready to be in my belly?" He pats his tummy as he talks.

"No. I'm ready to fight," Ichigo answers, sounding more confident than before. She is still afraid though.

"I'll just have to tenderize you then!" Banjo shouts before dashing at Ichigo. Banjo throws the first punch towards Ichigo's head but she manages to evade the attack. He quickly brings his other fist around but she leans out of the way. She can feel the strength of Banjo's punch as it passes by her face. Banjo continues to throw punches at Ichigo, forcing her on the defense. It is taking all of her concentration to avoid his attacks, preventing her from countering. With each swing, she floats higher and higher into the air in a vain attempt to put some distance between them. Banjo realizes that none of his punches are landing. He brings his left fist around and Ichigo leans to the right. Exactly as Banjo planned. He pulls his left fist back and catches her off guard with his right fist. He slams his fist against her face and the sheer force sends her flying through the air. She crashes through the fountain and collides with the fountain's wall. The dragon statue crumbles to the ground as water starts pouring out onto the sidewalk.

Ichigo rubs her forehead as her head throbs. With one eye closed, she looks up at Banjo, who is pulling his open hand back. "Time to cook the snack!" He shouts before firing a green ki blast at Ichigo. Acting fast, Ichigo jumps into the air, narrowly avoiding the blast. Ichigo continues to ascend as she thrusts both her hands out towards Banjo. Thumbs touching, a ball of blue ki starts to form in between her hands. It swells to the size of a grapefruit before she fires the beam at Banjo. He confidently stares down the approaching beam before moving out of its way. The beam curves as it travels before colliding with a building, exploding upon impact. The explosion draws Banjo's attention away from her, leaving him open.

She flies forward and punches him just as he turns back around. Her punch does little damage. She is able to land a few more punches before Banjo starts swatting her away. Like how someone swats a fly. "Stop that!" He proclaims as she flies backward. "Your attacks are annoying!" Banjo yells as he goes on the offensive. She continues to evade his attacks, paying extra attention to make sure he doesn't pull the same trick twice. He is striking a little faster this time and Ichigo struggles to keep up. Banjo scores a direct hit against her chest and the impact sends her crashing into a nearby office building. Banjo continues to float in the air, waiting for Ichigo to attack him. After a few seconds of waiting, he decides to investigate.

He flies towards the hole and quickly spots Ichigo lying in some rubble. She isn't moving. "I was hoping for more of a challenge," Banjo complains as he walks over to the unconscious Z Fighter. He reaches down and picks her up by her head. "Oh well. You will still make a yummy snack!" Banjo opens his mouth wide, his sharp teeth ready to chomp down onto the teenage girl. Ichigo lets out a soft groan as she regains consciousness. Realizing what's about to happen, she knows she has to do something quick. She can't break free of his grip though. It feels as if her skull is being crushed. Banjo's hand covers her right eye but not her left. She fires a quick ki blast at his throat and scores a direct hit. He grunts as he releases her. As Ichigo falls, she fires another blast, this time at his jaw. The blast causes his jaw to shut, biting his tongue in the process.

"Argh!" Banjo grabs his jaw as Ichigo scurries away. He sticks out his throbbing tongue and starts rubbing it. "You-th made me bite-th my th-ongue!"

Ichgio seizes this moment to deliver a series of kicks to Banjo's stomach. She goes to land the final kick but Banjo grabs her by her ankle. He holds her up and punches her several times before slamming her into the ground. As she reels from the attacks, Banjo pulls his fist back. He launches his fist towards her chest but Ichigo rolls out of the way. Banjo's fist collides with the floor and cracks spread out from the power. Banjo prepares to strike again when the floor starts to crumble. Chunks and pieces fall to the floor below as Banjo loses his balance. Ichigo lifts off the ground but Banjo must have forgotten that he can fly. He remains on the piece of concrete as it crashes to the floor below. Ichigo flips around and starts firing a barrage of ki blasts down at Banjo. Upon impact, the ki blasts explode into small clouds of smoke. Ichigo continues firing as smoke starts to fill the bottom floor. Once the bottom floor is completely covered in smoke, Ichigo stops firing. Her heart racing, she takes this moment to catch her breath and try to recover some of her spent energy. As the smoke clears, she starts to see a greenish light peeking through. As more of the smoke clears, Ichigo can see that Banjo has crossed his arms and a green bubble has formed around him. Banjo thrusts his arms into the air and the bubble explodes outwards. Having no time to escape, Ichigo brings her arms up in front of her face mere seconds before the explosion hits her.

The explosion destroys the building they are in along with some of the nearby ones. The explosion throws Ichigo out of the building and she lands on top of a car, crushing its roof in the process. She lets out a scream of pain upon colliding with the car. As she rolls around in pain, Banjo flies out of the ruins. He searches the area before spotting her. He touches down a few feet away from Ichigo and starts patting his stomach as he walks towards her. "You are putting up a good fight! I usually don't have to play with my food." Banjo pauses to chuckle, "All of this fighting is making me hungrier. You are going to be so yummy!"

As Banjo approaches her, Ichigo tries to get up but it's to no avail. Every bone in her body is aching and she is bleeding from several cuts on her body. Ichigo realizes this is the end. Tears begin to roll down her face as Banjo steps up onto the hood of the car. She has failed. She couldn't stop him and now everyone is going to die. Ichigo's tear-soaked eyes grow wide as Banjo reaches out to grab her. He pauses upon hearing a young girl yell out, "Leave Ichigo alone, you monster!" Banjo looks to his left, just in time for someone to collide into him. The impact tosses Banjo off the car and down to the ground. The young girl lands on the hood of the car and stares down at Banjo. Ichigo can't help but be surprised to see Stocking stand defiant against Banjo.

Banjo stands back up, apparently unharmed by the attack. "Oh good! Another snack to play with!"

"Stocking! Get out of here! He's too strong!" Ichigo insists but the little girl refuses.

"I'm not afraid of this ugly monster!" Stocking proclaims before extending both her hands out towards Banjo. She fires a ki blast and it hits him directly in the snout. He lets out a grunt before growling at her through his teeth

Banjo jumps at Stocking but she takes off into the air. The monster follows her but Stocking's smaller frame makes her faster than the bulky Banjo. Ichigo continues to lay in pain and watches as the two of them dart across the sky. She knows Stocking is no match for Banjo and that she has to help her. She's not sure exactly what she can do, especially in her current state. Ichigo thinks of her techniques but none of them seem like much help. In this moment of despair, she suddenly remembers one last technique. A technique taught to her by El, who learned it from his first master. She lets out several painful groans as she struggles to stand up. This plan of hers is a long shot. For one, she's never mastered the technique and she's not sure if she can even do it in her current state.

Stocking soars through the air with a sense of carelessness that seems out of place among the empty and damaged city. She glances back at Banjo, who is struggling to keep up with the little girl. Stocking goes on the offensive by flipping around and firing ki blasts at Banjo. She is still flying, just backward. Stocking's ki blasts aren't very big and while they hit Banjo, they are more of a nuisance than painful to him. After several blasts hit him, Banjo lets out a loud roar as a green aura appears around him. He blasts towards Stocking, who barely has enough time to cross her arms in front of her. Banjo's fist collides with Stocking's crossed arms. His strength, combined with Stocking's light weight, sends her rocketing through the air. She travels in an arch before falling to the ground. Banjo puffs his chest out triumphantly but his victory is cut short.

"Hey!" He hears Ichigo shout behind him. He turns to see the Z Fighter floating at his level, with her right hand reaching up above her head. Her other arm is across her stomach. A ball of ki starts to form in Ichigo's hand before it starts to stretch. Ichigo struggles to stretch the ki ball as it snaps back like it's made out of elastic. She keeps focusing and the more it stretches, the flatter it becomes. Ichigo is trying to concentrate as hard as she can. Banjo does nothing to stop her and see counts herself lucky for it. The ball continues stretching until it finally resembles a disk. "Destructo Disk!" Ichigo shouts as she moves her hand in a semi-circle before launching the attack at Banjo.

"That attack looks like a pizza! I bet it tastes good!" Banjo declares before flying towards the disk, his mouth wide open. He is unaware that this is the last meal he will ever eat.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - Round Two! Tako, Let Your Power Explode!**

Tako lets out a roar as he raises his power. An aura forms around him, melting the snow at his feet. Bell is unimpressed by Tako's display. After a few seconds of shouting, Tako kicks off from the ground and charges at his foe. Tako unleashes a barrage of punches at high speed. Bell manages to evade them while moving backward at the same time. During one of Tako's right swing, Bell slaps it his fist away.

She taunts him as she lifts into the air. "I'm going to play with you before I kill you." Tako launches into the air after Bell and blindly starts punching her again. Like before, she continues to evade and puts distance between them. Tako mixes some kicks into his attack but Bell continues to be evasive. Now high above the ground, Bell backs several feet away from Tako. Her eyes start to glow for a second before a pair of laser beams fire from her eyes. The fast moving beams strike Tako in the left shoulder. Bell's eye beams are not as destructive as her father's. Instead, her eye beams leave little damage but they do sting. Tako lets out a painful grunt as the impact pushes him back. She fires several move eye beams, striking Tako in the other shoulder, both his legs and his chest. Each strike pushes Tako further and further back. The attacks momentarily stun Tako, allowing Bell to go on the offensive.

She flies forward and delivers a hard knee to Tako's stomach. She drifts back and lands an uppercut against Tako's chin before slugging him across both cheeks. Tako reels from the attack as he raises his arms in an attempt to block her next strikes. Bell smirks at the weak defense before wrapping her tail around his waist. She lands a few punches to his kidneys before swinging her elbow towards his face. However, Tako is able to grab her elbow, much to Bell's surprise. Tako's fist connects with her face but even after several punches, she refuses to let him go. In fact, her tail's grip tightens with each punch. Her grip is so tight, it feels like Tako's organs are being crushed. Tako's punching stops as the pain becomes too much. He closes his eyes and grinds his teeth as her tail continues to squeeze. All Tako can focus on is the pain until he hears Bell's laugh. It's a sadistic one, a laugh of enjoyment from watching her prey suffer. Something about that laugh triggers a rage inside of Tako. He becomes numb to the pain as the laugh echoed throughout his mind. He grips his fists and yells up to the sky. As he yells, an aura, much brighter and larger than before, forms around him. The sudden burst of energy knocks Bell away.

She catches herself as Tako continues to howl. He suddenly flies towards her with a newfound burst of speed. He lands a punch across her face with much more force than any of his previous punches. This punch actually knocks Bell back. Before she has a moment to adjust, he lands another punch and another. Each punch has the same amount of strength and force behind it. With each punch, Bell gets angrier and angrier at Tako's rage-induced power and speed. In his new state however, Tako is blindly charging forward, a weakness Bell intends to exploit.

During one of his charges, she flies over him and delivers a kick to the top of his head. The kick sends him towards the ground but he stops halfway there. His aura returns as he points both of his palms at Bell. He shouts at her as he fires a ki beam. Bell narrowly avoids the beam and it continues to travel for a few yards before exploding. Bell realizes at that point that she is going to have to take this fight seriously. She turns towards him, just in time to see him rocketing towards her. She brings her arms up and successfully blocks his punch. The impact sends out a burst of air. Tako repeatedly slams his fist against Bell's arms in an attempt to break through. Each impact pushes Bell back a little. Something she does not like. Before Bell has a chance to counter, Tako drifts back and cups his hands together. He pulls them back and a ball of ki starts to appear in between his hands.

"Ka...Me...Ha...Me..." Tako recites as the energy in his hand starts to become larger. Tako holds onto the Kamehameha as he tries to figure out what Bell is planning. She isn't attacking, she isn't running away and she isn't blocking anymore. She is standing in a challenging manner, with a confident smirk on her face and her arms crossed. Tako knows she thinks his attacks aren't very powerful or that he can't harm her. He will show her. He focuses more energy into his attack. He wants this blast to seriously injure Bell but he knows it wouldn't be wise of him to focus all of his energy into the blast. After a few seconds of charging, Tako thrusts his hands forward as he shouts, "Ha!" The beam quickly closes the distance between them. Bell extends her hands out and catches the blast. The blast easily pushes Bell back for several yards. Energy spreads out and falls to the ground as Bell is pushed through the air. Tako keeps the Kamehameha going, hoping it will overpower Bell.

At some point during the fight, Bugle managed to regain consciousness. He is now high in the sky, out of the way of all the fighting. "That human has quite a bit of power. If he had a little more training, he might actually pose a threat to Bell," The pterodactyl comments as he watches the Kamehameha push Bell towards the ground. Bugle looks to his right and can sense Yamcha and Piccolo exchanging blows. "Father's power still eclipses Yamcha," He says to himself before moving his sights over to North City. "It appears Banjo is playing with his food again. That playfulness could cost him," Bugle finishes talking to himself as he looks back at Tako's Kamehameha.

Nearly halfway to the ground, Bell starts to slow down. Tako notices that his beam has stopped moving. Mere seconds after that, the beam takes a sharp nosedive into the ground. The blast exploded upon colliding with the snow. Tako is breathing heavily as he lowers his hands in a disheartening manner. Tako didn't think his Kamehameha would actually defeat Bell but he thought it would at least have done something. Bell brings her hands back to her side and Tako notices that Bell is breathing heavier. It appears his blast nearly won. After a few seconds of staring at each other, Tako and Bell dash at each other. Once they are in range of each other, their fists collide. Bell and Tako exchange a series of high-speed punches and kicks as they travel across the sky. At first, the two appear to be evenly matched. However, with each blow, Bell starts to get the upper hand again. One particular punch lands against Tako's cheek and it knocks him back a little. Tako turns back to Bell and is greeted by her open palm a few inches from his face.

"This fight is over," She says to Tako in a serious tone before engulfing him in a blast of ki.

Meanwhile, Rasha and El are searching for any trace of Korin in the Resistance's base. After defeating the strange jello fighter and dropping down the hole, they decided to split up.

As Rasha searches, she enters what appears to be a war room. A long table is in the middle with a map of the world spread out over it. Schematics and more detailed maps are laid out on top of the map. Rasha picks up one of the maps and recognizes it as a map of North City. There are several areas that have been circled, likely as points of interest. One such place is the Capsule Corp. building. Rasha trades the map for a large picture of a cave. Written in a red marker above the cave are the words, 'Red Ribbon Lab?'. Rasha remembers hearing stories about the Red Ribbon Army and how Goku defeated them as a boy. Could the Resistance have possibly found an attempt at reviving the old army? Rasha decides not to speculate on the subject any long as she returns the picture to its spot. She searches the room for any useful information or secret compartments but her search turns up empty.

El's search takes him to a large storage room. Boxes upon boxes are stacked to the ceiling. El places his hand on one of the stacks and that simple action causes the stack to fall to the ground. The boxes make a loud noise as they shatter against the concrete floor. To El's surprise, the boxes are empty. He presses his hand against some of the other stacks, being careful not to knock anymore over, and they are all empty as well. "Why are all the boxes empty?" El asks out loud as he wanders around. During his search, he spots a small cage tucked away between some of the stacks. The cage has a blanket, a bowl of cat food and water inside of it. Next to the cage is a pot. Some type of plant is growing out of the pot but it is so shrivel looking, El can't identify it. On the ground around the pot are half of dozen black beans. El kneels in front of the cage and looks inside. Little white hairs are all over the blanket.

El returns to the hole and waits for Rasha to return. After a few minutes, he sees her walking down the hall towards him. "Did you find anything?" She asks.

"Yeah, I think I found where they kept Korin," El answers as he motions down the hall.

"But no trace of him?" Rasha inquirers and El shakes his head.

"What about you? Did you discover anything?"

Rasha decides the Red Ribbon lab isn't worth mentioning. "No, nothing." She looks up at the hole before asking, "Shall we head back to North City?" El agrees as they fly up and to the outside. They fly out of the stadium but stop when they suddenly sense someone powering up.

"Is that...Tako?" Rasha asks as they both close their eyes to focus. They can sense Tako powering up but they can sense Piccolo as well. Rasha suddenly opens her eyes as she shouts, "Oh no!" She shoots a look of worry at El before they both race towards North City.

In their haste, they failed to notice that the liquid remains of Zery have disappeared.

Yamcha lays spread out on the ground. He is still alive after Piccolo's eye beam but he is in a lot of pain. The eye beam destroyed most of the top part of his gi while the rest of it has been torn from the fight. Piccolo floats down and lands in front of Yamcha.

"You have put up a valiant effort, surviving all these years," Piccolo says as he walks over to Yamcha. Yamcha tries to sit up but Piccolo kicks him right where his eye beam struck. Yamcha lets out a painful yell as he falls back to the ground. Piccolo stomps his foot against Yamcha's chest. He talks over Yamcha's screams, "But you knew this day was coming. The day you would fail. The day you die." Piccolo stomps on Yamcha several more times. With each stomp, Yamcha's yells become more and more painful. "However, I am not satisfied with just killing you. No, I want you to suffer. Suffer in the humiliation of your failure. After this fight, you are going to watch as I kill everyone you care about. And at your lowest point, the point where you have no hope and no one left, then..." A cruel smirk crosses Piccolo's face as he grabs Yamcha by the throat and lifts him up. "...Then I will allow you to die." He points his finger at Yamcha's shoulder and fires a small, piercing beam. The beam easily cuts through Yamcha's flesh and shoulder blade. Yamcha struggles to scream as blood begins to flow out of the wound.

Piccolo tightens his grip, his long fingernails begin to dig into Yamcha's skin. As blood begins to leak from the wounds, Piccolo suddenly drops Yamcha. He turns to face North City and takes a few bewildered steps towards the city. He suddenly lets out a loud roar before blasting off into the air.

Even though he is injured, Yamcha knows he must stop the evil tyrant. He manages to get to his feet, his hand gripping his shoulder.

Bell's blast throws the injured Tako towards the ground. Stunned from the attack, Tako has no chance to stop himself from slamming into the ground. Tako is laying in the crater, unable to move. Every bone and muscle in his body is aching and throbbing. His ki is nearly spent. The blast destroyed part of his clothes and he is bleeding from several cuts on his body. He is in too much pain to even sit up. He hears the snow crunch under someone's feet and he assumes it's Bell landing near him.

Tako hears more snow crunch as Bell walks towards him. "You put up a fairly good fight, for a human," Tako hears Bell taunt him before she stops walking. He finally manages to open one eye and sees Bell standing triumphantly over him. "You know, you have always put up a good fight. I wouldn't mind keeping you as a pet. What do you say?"

Tako lets out a sharp groan as he struggles to sit up. He brings his arm up and fires one last, wild ki blast at Bell. Bell casually leans out of the way of the blast. "Go...to hell," Tako replies as he falls back down.

Bell shrugs her shoulders before extending her hand out. A ki ball forms in her hand as she comments, "Some last words."

Tako tries to move but his body just throbs in response. He refuses to accept that this is the end, that after everything, he couldn't beat Bell. That after all of his training, all of his restless nights, this was the extent of his power.

Bell's ki ball grows to the size of a soccer ball but she doesn't fire it. Tako leans up and notices that Bell has a horrified look on her face. The ki ball disappears before she slowly turns towards the city. She grips her fists as she starts in shake from rage. She leans her head back and screams to the sky, "BANJO!" before rocketing off towards the city.

Tako can't make any sense of the situation. Whatever happened to Banjo must be more important than killing him. "I-I have to.." Tako groans out as he tries to sit up. His body starts screaming and he falls back down. "I guess I can wait a few seconds," Tako says out loud, not happy with his certain situation. As he stares up at the sky, he watches Piccolo fly by with Yamcha in hot pursuit. Seeing his master still fighting gives Tako the strength he needs. He finally gets to his feet before he weakly flies towards the city.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 - Disaster! The Fall of North City**

Ichigo descends to the ground as Stocking gets back to her feet. Banjo's punch knocked the wind out of Stocking but she is okay. Ichigo isn't however. She is shaking as she looks over Banjo's slain body. The color drains from her body as she realizes what she has done. Banjo may have been a monster who was trying to eat everyone but he was still a living thing. A living being that Ichigo killed.

Noticing that something is wrong, Stocking approaches Ichigo. She extends her hand out towards her friend as she asks, "Ichigo? Are you okay?" In that moment, Ichigo falls to her knees and throws up. The sight and sound of the event cause Stocking to jump back. After a few seconds, Ichigo sits up. She wheezes as she begins to cry.

"I-I-I-I killed him...I killed someone!" Ichigo cries in between her gasps for air.

"No!" Stocking shouts as she stomps her foot. "He was a monster, a terrible monster and you are a hero! Just like in those stories my mommy reads to me!" The sight of Banjo's cut in half body doesn't seem to affect Stocking.

"Y-You don't understand Stocking." Stocking prepares to say something when they sense someone approaching them. "No..." Ichigo recognizes the power as belonging to Bell. A mixture of fear and adrenaline begins to pump through Ichigo's body. With new found energy, she springs to her feet. "Stocking, we have to go!"

"Go? Why?" Stocking asks, not able to sense ki yet. Ichigo grabs Stocking by the wrist and starts running away with her. The young fighter knows they are no match for Bell.

By the time Bell arrives at the scene, Ichigo and Stocking are nowhere to be seen. Her eyes immediately spot the sliced remains of Banjo. "No...brother..." Bell utters as she slowly descends. She begins to shake as she takes a few steps forward. "No...no..." Rage begins to burn in her eyes as her hands turn into fists. She lets out a scream of, "NO!" as an aura flares up around her. In that moment, Bugle arrives on the scene.

"Oh no," He quietly says at the sight. He doesn't appear to be as horrified as his sister.

A few blocks away, Ichigo and Stocking are still running. Bell's power increase causes Ichigo to stop in her tracks. She looks back in the direction they came from. The power she is sensing is far stronger than her. Stronger than any of them.

"Let...go!" Stocking says as she finally twists her hand free of Ichigo's grasp. "I want to know what is going on!" The little girl demands with a stomp of her foot.

"W-We have to get to Capsule Corp," Ichigo utters. She can feel her knees shaking under her.

"But I want to help daddy!" Stocking demands before turning towards the danger. Ichigo instinctively grabs Stocking by the wrist again. "Let me go!" The girl demands as she tries to break free.

"You can't help Yamcha. All we would do is get in their way. Those...monsters are too powerful."

"Not for me!" Just as Stocking confidently boasts, Ichigo sees Bell raise into the air. Bell spreads her hands out in front of her and a pair of baseball size ki balls start to form.

"Watch out!" Ichigo shouts as she lunges to protect Stocking. In that split second, Bell starts firing at North City.

Ki balls sail through the air, exploding upon contact. Buildings crumble and the streets get torn up as people flee from the barrage. Bell's voice carries across the city. "You will all pay for killing my brother!" Ichigo continues to shield Stocking with her body as the destruction continues. Piccolo watches his daughter's rage from high above.

Seeing their father, Bugle floats up to him. "Father, are you not angry over the death of Banjo?"

"I am," He replies with a fierce tone. "But I will allow Bell to take her frustration out first. My fury will destroy this city." Piccolo turns his attention towards Bugle and asks, "What about you? Are you not angry?"

"Banjo was always reckless. Preferring to think with his stomach and not his head. It does not surprise me that he was eventually killed." Bugle barely has enough time to utter those words before Piccolo grabs him by his beak.

"At least Banjo wasn't a coward, like you," Piccolo snarls.

With everyone's attention somewhere else, they all fail to notice Yamcha approaching Bell. He successfully lands a kick against Bell's back, sending her sailing towards a building. This catches Piccolo's and Bugle's attention.

Realizing that the destruction has stopped, Ichigo returns to her feet. She spots Yamcha in the air and before she can even register what is happening, Stocking jumps to her feet and shouts, "Daddy!" She lifts up into the sky but is stopped once again by Ichigo.

Ichigo pulls the stubborn girl back down as she informs her again, "We need to go to Capsule Corp."

Yamcha grips his bleeding shoulder as he waits for Bell to attack him. He is in a lot of pain but he knows he must stop Bell. Bell's collision with the building caused it to crash down around her. He extends his arm out and starts to form a ball of energy. The ki ball is not as large as he wants it, being only a grapefruit in size. He waits for Bell to burst from the rumble while also keeping his senses on Piccolo. He knows he would not survive if Piccolo and Bell double-teamed him. Seconds pass before Bell bursts out from the rubble.

Her face is twisted in rage as she shouts, "Damn you human!" She flies at Yamcha with incredible speed but he remains firm. With Bell mere feet away from him, he lets the ki beam erupt from his hand. Bell's reaction time is hindered by her rage and the beam slams into her. The beam pushes her back down into the rubble.

Piccolo gives Bugle a toss as he watches Yamcha's beam overpower Bell. "I think it's time for Yamcha to suffer."

Tako finally arrives as Bell bursts out of the rubble again. She soars towards Yamcha again but he manages to avoid her punch. In his weakened state, however, he is unable to avoid a punch aimed at his kidneys. Blood bursts from his mouth from the punch. Bell lands powerful blow after blow against Yamcha's chest and stomach. With each punch, Yamcha drifts back.

Unable to watch his master suffer any longer, Tako powers up and charges at Bell. He barely gets halfway there when Piccolo descends in front of him. "If you want to help your master, you must get through me," Says Piccolo, his arms still crossed. His whole demeanor suggests that he doesn't view Tako as a threat. A notion that Tako is going to prove wrong. Tako pushes himself back as he unleashes a barrage of ki blasts. The ki blasts are small but they all find their target. Once Tako is a safe distance away from Piccolo, he stops firing. Smoke lingers in the air. Tako knows those ki blasts didn't harm Piccolo. As the smoke begins to clear, Tako can see a faint shimmer of a ki bubble. Before the smoke can fully clear, Tako dashes towards his opponent. He throws punch after punch but Piccolo dodges all of them. His shoulder continues to throb as the pain gets worst. Seeing his master getting pummeled just over Piccolo's shoulder isn't helping his concentration. Sensing the distraction, Piccolo strikes Tako in the face with his elbow before delivering a chop to the back of the neck. The swift blow knocks Tako out. He falls towards the ground but Piccolo isn't finished with him. He fires a quick ki blast that connects with Tako's back. The blast propels Tako towards the ground at a much faster speed. Upon colliding with the ground, the blast explodes.

Yamcha is still unable to put up a proper defense against Bell. Bell lands a strong punch against Yamcha's face before wrapping her tail around his neck. During her onslaught, she noticed where Yamcha was the weakest; his sides. Her opponent now unable to move, Bell proceeds to beat on Yamcha's sides. With each punch, Yamcha lets out a scream of agony. Blood begins to run down Yamcha's mouth as he struggles to breathe. Bell spreads her hand over his face and starts to form some ki. She stops when she hears her father's voice.

"Don't kill him," Piccolo orders, much to his children's surprise. Bell and Bugle look at Piccolo, unsure as to why he stopped her. "He must suffer before he dies. It is because of his students that Banjo and Guit were killed." As Piccolo talks, Yamcha realizes what he is going to do.

Yamcha weakly protests, "N...No..." but it does nothing.

"He must watch as we take his family away."

"Another tunnel has collapsed!" A technician shouts at Bulma. Before she even has a chance to reply, another technician shouts, "We lost contact with another one!" Technicians and workers run around the commander center in a panic as Bulma stares at the large view screen. Smoke rises in several different areas throughout the city. Bulma is speechless at all the destruction. She has seen this type of destruction too many times.

"Evacuate..." Bulma says in a defeated, muffled tone. Some of the technicians hear her mumble something but are unsure what it is.

"Ma'am?" Asks one technician, her question drawing the attention of the others.

Bulma looks out at the faces in front of her. At her workers, her technicians. People who are willing to stand against Piccolo. To give their lives even. However, she can't ask that of them. Speaking with a louder voice, she commands, "Everyone, evacuate!"

Bell flies up into the air, Yamcha in tow. She holds him out in front of Piccolo, so he can taunt him some more. "Are you ready Yamcha? Ready to watch your entire family die?"

Yamcha is barely clinging to consciousness. Defiant to the end, he flicks his limp around up and fires a ki blast at Piccolo. However, it does nothing again his opponent. A cruel smile form on Piccolo's face. He starts looking around and locates the signature domed building. He extends his right arm out, grabbing his wrist with his other hand. "Destructive Wave!" Shouts Piccolo. A beam of ki erupt from his hand and soars through the air. Within seconds, the beam crashes through the building's roof before exploding. The explosion engulfs Capsule Corp and some of the surrounding building.

"No...BULMA!" Yamcha shouts as rage overtakes him. He lets out a painful yell and an aura flares up around him. The sudden power increase surprises Bell and it pushes her back, freeing him from her grasp. Yamcha swings at Piccolo but he catches the weaken punch. With a strong yank, Piccolo pulls Yamcha towards him, his knee colliding with his stomach. Before Yamcha can react, Piccolo's hand covers his face and they fly towards the ground. They slam into the ground at incredible speed. As the dust from the collision floats in the air, Piccolo is standing over Yamcha. His foot is on Yamcha's right wrist while his extended arm is pinning Yamcha's left wrist.

"Bell! Bugle! Grab the remaining Dragon Ball!" Orders Piccolo before looking at his pinned opponent. "After all these years, the last of Earth's greatest warriors are defeated. You have lost," Says Piccolo as Yamcha struggles to break free. "Hidden behind a shield, you have kept the final Dragon Ball away from. There you would have remained, as you hoped a new generation might defeat me." Piccolo pauses as he leans in closer. "But you were betrayed by one of your own." Yamcha's eyes grow wide at the revelation.

"That's a lie," Yamcha mutters. "No one here would help you."

Piccolo lets out a chuckle. "Someone would if I could grant them their wish. If I could give them everything they desire. Not that it matters anymore." Piccolo holds his free hand over Yamcha's right hand. "It's time for you to suffer." Mere seconds after those words leave Piccolo's mouth, a beam of ki erupts from his palm. It engulfs Yamcha's entire hand, wrist, and part of his arm. Yamcha screams in pain as the ki incinerates all that it touches. The beam finally stops, leaving behind a bloody stump. Piccolo's hand glides through the air and over to Yamcha's other hand.

Listening to their father, Bell and Bugle fly over to the remains of Capsule Corp. The domed building has been almost completely destroyed, save for a few random pieces of wall. The explosion tore up some of the floorings, revealing another structure. Bell positions herself high above the exposed metal. Mimicking her father, she unleashes a Destructive Wave. Her beam is not nearly as powerful as Piccolo's, but it doesn't need to be. The beam explodes upon contact, destroying more of the building and exposing the inside of the hidden structure. Bell and Bugle descend through the opening into a hallway.

"The Dragon Ball is supposed to be at the bottom of the hidden passage," Bugle recites as if he is repeating what someone told him.

Bell grips her fist as she says through gritted teeth, "That human better be right."

"We shall see," Comments Bugle. He holds his hand out at an angle and fires a ki blast at the floor. After the smoke clears, they head down to the next floor. Bugle repeats this process until they blast their way into a medium sized room. The room is completely white and sterile looking. In the center of the room, sitting on a pedestal is the Four Star Dragon Ball. It is usually protected by security systems and a shield but all the damage knocked those systems offline. That allows Bugle to easily float over and grab the Ball. "It appears the human was right after all," Bugle states as he examines the Dragon Ball.

Another ball of ki starts to form in Piccolo's hand as Yamcha continues to glare back at him. He is not going to give Piccolo the pleasure of him begging. Even if he is in an incredible amount of pain. Instead of blasting Yamcha's other hand away, the ki ball disappears. Piccolo closes his hand before moving it over to Yamcha's leg. He points with his index and middle finger before firing a small, thin ki beam. The beam punctures through Yamcha's kneecap, shattering it in the process. Yamcha howls in pain before quickly biting his teeth down. Piccolo takes some sadistic joy in the pain he is causing his opponent. Before he can strike again, a ki blast collides with his shoulder. It wasn't strong enough to hurt him, but it did get his attention. He whips his head over his shoulder and sees Tako standing several feet away. His right arm is out while his left hand is gripping his elbow for support. He is breathing heavy and he looks like a strong breeze can knock him over. He was actually aiming for Piccolo's back.

Piccolo steps away from Yamcha as he turns to face his challenger. Wasting no time, Piccolo kicks off from the ground and charges at Tako. Tako forms a weak defensive stance as he prepares to fight. Piccolo gets halfway to him when a large barrage of ki blasts spread over him. As smoke covers the destroyed street, Tako looks over at where the blasts came from. Floating in the sky is Rasha and El, their arms extended outward. Acting quickly, they touch down near the smoke.

"You grab Yamcha, I'll grab Tako!" Rasha orders and with a nod, El dashes towards their master. Their dashes are interrupted by long, green arms reaching out from the smoke. They manage to barely dodge the swiping arms.

As the arms retract into the smoke, Piccolo's chilling voice rings out from the smoke. "The remaining two fighters. One of them is responsible for killing my son, Guit." Rasha and El prepare to fight as they catch glimpses of Piccolo through the fading smoke. The air is tense as no one makes a move. The smoke is nearly gone before Piccolo flies towards Rasha.

"El, now!" She shouts before closing her eyes and looking away.

"SOLAR FLARE!" Shouts El seconds before a bright light covers the area, blinding Yamcha, Tako, and Piccolo. Using this moment to their advantage, El and Rasha grab Yamcha and Tako. As they take off, they all sense Piccolo starting to build up energy. Moments later, an explosion of ki erupts out from Piccolo. Luckily, they are just out of range. Everything the blast touches is incinerated, leaving nothing but a crater in its wake.

Rasha and El put some distance between them and Piccolo before landing. Rasha spots one of the tunnel entrances nearby. Tako does not speak, he is unable to look at any of them. Instead, his eyes are looking down at the ground. Rasha and El give the ruined city one final, sad look as they enter the tunnel.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 - The Aftermath**

Tako jolts up in bed. His heart is pounding and his face is covered in sweat. For the past several nights, he has been having the same nightmare. In this nightmare, he is powerless to stop Piccolo from destroying North City. Unfortunately, this nightmare haunts him while he is awake. He looks around in the darkness at the bland, metal walls. This has been his room for almost a week now. He moves his hand to his shoulder as a sharp pain starts at his shoulder before running down to his wrist. He gives it a slight squeeze, hoping to stop the pain.

Tako swings his feet down to the cold floor. It takes a second for his feet to adjust to the cold, it always does. He stands up before making his way to the door. The door automatically slides open, revealing a hallway. The hallway is made out of the same bland metal as his room. He makes his way down the hall, passing a few people along the way. Tako averts his gaze from every one of them. He can not bring himself to see the defeated look on their face. A defeated look that is his fault.

Tako heads down several flights of stairs before entering through a sliding metal door. The sign above it reads, 'First Aid'. The medium sized room has beds lined up on either side. The room is lit, poorly, by a pair of light panels built into the ceiling. On the right side of the room, laying on one of the beds is Yamcha. Only his head is visible, the rest is covered by a light blue, fleece blanket. Tako walks up and stops beside his motionless master. He grips his fist in fury as his eyes start to get watery.

A rough male voice speaks from behind Tako. "Back again?" Tako turns around and sees an older man, about his height. He has long, bushy white hair that starts above his ears and reaches down to his waist. He is bald from his ears up. A large bushy mustache stretches across his face. He is wearing a brown, denim vest over a white dress shirt and black slacks. Two bands are around his arms. His eyebrows are together in a permeate scowl. Tako says nothing as he turns back to Yamcha.

"Your constant presence is not necessary. My robots are the best in the world," The man brags as he walks over to Tako. Almost as if on cue, an old robot enters through the door.

It walks stiffly over to them. "Hello Masters. How are you today?" Says the robot in a slow, synthetic voice. The robot walks around to the other side of the bed and adjusts Yamcha's blankets.

"I suggest you continue to get some rest. If Yamcha ever wakes up, you are no use to him or anyone in your current state."

Tako snaps at the old man for his words. "Yamcha will wake up! And when he does, he will form a plan that will end that monster!"

"The only plans I have seen from Yamcha involves running away," The old man responses. Before Tako can reply, the old man turns around and leaves the room.

The old man walks back into the stairwell before heading up. After traveling up a few flight of stairs, he stops in front of a door. To the left of the door is a keypad. He enters a combination onto nine-button keypad and after it beeps at him, the door opens.

The room on the other side is small with a desk against the opposite wall. A computer sits on top of the desk and a table is pushed up against the left wall. A clear dome is over the table and an auburn-haired woman is under it. A metal bookshelf is straight across from the table. A set of clean containers are on the first shelf. They are each the size of a book and range between blue, green and purple. The old man sits down at the desk and moves the mouse, causing the computer screen to turn on. It reveals lines and lines of green code against a black background.

The old man begins to type. After adding a few lines, he stops. He turns his entire body to the side and looks at the woman. "Your brother escaped. He didn't get to fight Piccolo but he proved to be a challenge for that boy. I would have liked to get some data on your fight against Piccolo but Bulma insists that you are too dangerous. She doesn't understand. She doesn't understand you." The old man places his hand on the dome. "She is just scared. Scared of my genius and your power. That my research..." The old man pauses as the door slides open. Standing in the doorway is Bulma. She is wearing a lab coat over a pair of black slacks and a brown sweater. The old man says nothing as he scowls at Bulma before returning to his computer.

"I have been looking for you Gero," Says Bulma as she enters the room. Her eyes immediately travel to the woman in the dome. She steps over to the table and examines the woman. The door automatically closes behind her.

"She could have prevented this," Gero comments as he continues typing.

"How did the first project escape?" Bulma inquires, ignoring his statement.

"I was experimenting with a controlling collar and it was damaged during one of the tests."

Bulma lets out a low "Hmph," before turning towards Gero. The Doctor continues talking. "Project Ruby will be much better. I have improved the controlling chip since the last incident."

"Maybe if you would stop abducting people, they wouldn't be trying to rebel," Scolds Bulma. Gero immediately stops typing. He stands to face Bulma.

"We do not all get the luxury to experiment on our children. I may be abducting people but remember who provides my funding."

"We provide you with money so you can produce fighters and weapons to use against Piccolo," Bulma pauses as she glides her hand above the glass dome. "Successful fighters."

"My fighters are successful. Need I remind you that YOUR fighter and YOUR shield were no match for my Garnet."

"It was your fighter that weakened the shield and allowed Piccolo to break in."

Dr. Gero points his finger in Bulma's face. His natural frown becomes more intense as he talks. "Remember that it is by my good graces that you are all staying here. Do not think I have forgotten about the Red Ribbon Army and the humiliation they suffered. Piccolo is a simple diversion, I will have my revenge."

"Goku was the one who defeated the Red Ribbon Army and he is gone. You have no one to seek revenge against."

"As his friends, you become the inheritor of his crimes. In your weakened state, my robots could easily tear you all apart."

"You won't because you need our protection. One of your Gems is loose and the other is barely ready. Your robots are no match for Piccolo and his children."

"Your fighters weren't either."

The two scientist glare at each other, their arguing has reached a stalemate. After several intense moments, Bulma is the one to resume talking. "Mayor Shicho is requesting to speak to us," She explains, referencing back to why she was searching for the Doctor.

Dr. Gero waves his hand between them in a dismissive manner before returning to his computer. "You tell him that I am far too busy to waste time with him. I must update Ruby with the information gathered during the attack."

"You can tell him that yourself," Replies Bulma before she exits the room.

"Thank you for joining us," Says Shicho to Bulma, Mordechai, and Gero. They are in a small room that looks like it was once used for storage. Boxes, parts, and pieces of metal are stuffed into the corner. Each of them is sitting on a different type of chair. The table in front of them is actually a thick, piece of wood that has been snapped at the end. Three stacks of boxes are under the table. Bulma and Mordechai are on one side of the table while Gero is on the other.

Shicho places his elbows on the table and leans forward as he talks. "I want to give a special thanks to Gero for allowing us to use his laboratory. From all the refugees and myself, thank you." Gero has nothing to say after the kind words. Shicho's expression takes on a more serious tone as he turns towards Bulma. "How many people did we save?"

Bulma looks down at a folder in front of her. She opens it and starts looking through the papers. After a few moments, she looks at the Mayor with a grim look. "Three hundred and forty-seven."

The Mayor cannot believe his ears. He repeats her words to make sure. Bulma's nods, confirming it to be true. The Mayor utters a single, depressed, "Wow," before burying his face in his hands.

"We believe there may be more survivors that haven't made it to the lab yet."

"My lab is already too crowded," Gero interrupts before taking over the conversation. "I do not have the supplies or space to accommodate this many people. You are going to need to find somewhere to go."

"Like where?" Bulma snaps.

"I don't know. Certainly, there is someplace Piccolo and his children have not destroyed yet. An abandoned city or maybe a nice island. I'm sure there is one down by Kame House."

Mordechai's meek voice speaks out. "What about surrendering to Piccolo?"

Bulma and Gero immediately start speaking out against such an idea. Their complaints stop upon Shicho saying, "Let us hear Mordechai out."

"I mean, he has already won. Yamcha is in a coma and the children were useless against his power. He destroyed North City and has the final Dragon Ball. Maybe if we surrender, he will spare us."

"That's absurd!" Bulma shouts. She is unable to accept that her assistant would propose such an idea. Shicho however, is far more accepting.

"Mordechai has a point," The Mayor rubs his head as he talks. "We have tried everything and have failed every time. With the Dragon Balls, Piccolo is now unbeatable. Surrender might be our only hope to survive."

"There is still hope!" Bulma argues back. She looks towards Gero, hoping the Doctor has something up his sleeve. She can't believe she is relying on him.

"The current situation is bleak for you but there might still be a way." The Mayor looks at Gero with disbelief. "Piccolo might not make the wish you think he will. Why wish for immortality when there are no more threats?" Everyone takes Gero's words into consideration as he continues speaking. "They most likely believe Yamcha is dead. And in a few more days, he might be." Bulma glares at Gero. "However, with my advance knowledge and tools, I could save him...and make him better."

"What are you suggesting?" Asks Shicho.

"I replace Yamcha's missing hand and injured organs with mechanical ones."

"You want to turn my husband into a cyborg?" Bulma asks in a defensive tone. She isn't a fan of the idea.

"I can make him stronger, maybe even strong enough to kill Piccolo. I can install an unlimited energy device inside of him. That would allow him to never get tired or run out of energy. My cybernetic parts would increase his damage and pain tolerance. I can even replace his damaged eye."

"And what stops you from installing one of your controlling chips in his brain?" Bulma objects.

"Where was that hesitation years ago? When you asked for me, a crazy doctor in a mountain, to help you find a way to defeat Piccolo? I am just fulfilling my end of our agreement."

Bulma prepares to argue back but Shicho interrupts her. "Go ahead with the operation. Make Yamcha as powerful as you can."

Bulma jumps to her feet. "Shouldn't we wait and ask him ourselves? Or shouldn't I have a say in this? I don't think my husband-"

"If it will put you at ease, you can assist me with the operation," Gero offers.

Bulma gives Gero an angry stare before relenting and accepting his offer. Bulma returns to her seat as she says, "Just promise me you won't install anything tricky or evil."

"You have my word," Gero promises but Bulma still feels unease.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - Desperate Acts Of The Survivors**

Tako finds himself standing in a large, empty room. Burn marks and impact craters are scattered throughout the walls, ceiling, and floors. He lets out a deep breath before he fires a ki ball. The ball flies towards the wall before it stops in midair. Tako is holding out his index and middle finger and is in complete control of the ki ball. He turns his hand before quickly moving his fingers towards his chest. The ki ball suddenly rockets back at him. As the ball speeds towards him, he extends his hand out with the intention of catching it. The ki ball collides with his hand but doesn't explode. He grits his teeth as he struggles to hold the ki ball. He can feel his feet sliding back. Tako brings his other hand around and grabs the ki ball. With both of his hands on the ki ball, he stops sliding. He takes a few steps forward before a sharp pain shoots through his right arm. The pain increases at a rapid rate. His face twists in pain. He fights through the pain until it finally becomes too much. With one desperate push, Tako redirects the ki ball up. He falls to his back as the ki ball collides with the ceiling.

His breathing is heavy and labored as the pain slowly fades. Tako's eyebrows touch as he stares up at the burn mark on the ceiling. Tako slams his fist against the floor in frustration. Pain shoots through his arm but he is too angry to let it affect him. He stands up and prepares to try again. He fires another ki ball but this time he intends to stop it with both of his hands. As the ki ball speeds towards him, he hears a familiar female voice come from his left.

"Tako?" The voice distracts him for a moment and it causes him to break his stance. Realizing he can't stop the ki ball now, he jumps into the air. The ki ball careens past him and slams into the wall. Now hovering a few feet, Tako looks over at where the voice came from. Standing in the doorway is Rasha and El.

"What are you doing?" Rasha asks in a worrying tone.

Tako lands on his feet before adjusting his wristbands. He returns to his training, remaining quiet during the entire thing. He fires yet another ki ball and turns it around. The ki ball speeds toward his extended hand when another ki ball of about the same size collides with it. The two ki balls slam into the wall. Tako gives Rasha a disappointing sideway glance.

"Don't interfere," Says Tako coldly.

Rasha takes a step forward as she replies, "No. You need to be resting."

"What I need is to be stronger. I was unable to stop Bell or Piccolo," Tako gets into position to fire another ki ball but Rasha steps in front of him.

"You won't become stronger by pushing yourself. You are making it worst," She defiantly states. "You did the best you could and-"

"That wasn't enough!" Rasha stands firm against Tako's sudden outburst. "I was supposed to bring an end to Piccolo's reign! Instead, I was powerless to stop them! Just like I was when they attacked West City!"

El finally steps forwards and says something. "Tako, none of us were prepared. Not even Yamcha could stop them."

"He could have! If I was stronger..." Tako looks down at his hands as they shake. He squeezes them into fists as he talks through gritted teeth. "I could have stopped them. All those people died because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough!" Tako's energy flares for a moment before disappearing.

Rasha extends her hand towards Tako's shoulder as his aura fades. "Tako," She whispers. In response to her gentle hand, Tako shoots both Rasha and El a look of pure anger.

"You two should have been there! Instead, you were chasing a dead cat and fighting jello!" El prepares to say something as he takes a step forward but Rasha holds out her hand. She knows Tako doesn't mean what he is saying. Water starts to build up in Tako's eyes as he continues to squeeze his fist. Before any tears roll down his face, they hear someone approaching.

Ichigo rushes into the room, her face red from running. "There you are!" She says in between gasps for breath. She bends over and places her hands on her knees as everyone looks at her. Tako takes this moment to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Rasha asks, sensing the urgency in Ichigo's voice.

"It's Yamcha! They are going to experiment on Yamcha!"

Rasha, El, and Tako all follow Ichigo as she leads them down some stairs. At the end of a long hallway, they see Gero, Bulma and three robots pushing a gurney. Laying on the gurney, still unconscious, is Yamcha.

"Stop!" Shouts Tako. The robots continue pushing Yamcha but Gero and Bulma turn to face them.

"Bulma, do something with these children," Gero orders before he continues walking.

The four of them all start talking in unison as Bulma walks towards them.

"What is going on?"

"How can you experiment on Yamcha?"

"Where is he being taken?"

"How can you let this happen?"

Bulma makes a "Shhh" sound as she motions for them to lower their voices. "Yamcha is in serious condition. Gero and I are going to operate on him to try-"

"Operate on him?!" Ichigo shouts.

"Yes, operate on him," Bulma repeats, her voice heavy with sadness. She looks down at the floor for a second before turning back to the four. "He was severely hurt during the fight with Piccolo. If it wasn't for Rasha and El arriving when they did, he would probably be dead." Bulma looks at Rasha and El as she talks. Tako lowers his head and grips his fists as her words remind him of his own powerlessness. Only Rasha notices this.

"This will save his life?" El inquires.

Bulma nods before explaining, "And more. Dr. Gero is the world's most experienced scientist when it comes to robotics. He has a few ideas that will make Yamcha stronger."

"And how much is Yamcha sacrificing?" Tako asks as he finally looks up from the floor.

"Only a few damaged organs," Bulma flashes the four of them a confident and strong smile before continuing. "I know this whole situation is scary but please trust me. This will be better, for everyone."

Rasha, El and Ichigo exchange looks before they decide to agree to Bulma's wishes. Tako however, continues to stare at the floor.

Bulma lets out a short breath of relief before telling them, "Thank you. I know it's hard but please get some rest. You can see Yamcha after he wakes up." With those final words, Bulma turns around and walks to catch up with Gero.

The quartet lingers in the hall as Bulma walks through the door Gero and the robots went through. Even after that, they still remain in the hall, like lost puppies. No one says a word to each other. Tako finally gets tired of waiting and turns around to leave. The others follow shortly after.

"I think we should also eat. We need to keep our strength up," El comments as they all walk up the stairs.

Ichigo gives a soft, "Yeah," but Rasha is paying more attention to Tako. Tako is a few steps ahead of them. She believes Tako is thinking about doing something rash and she isn't going to let him. El calls out to Rasha several times before he finally gets her attention.

Rasha quickly apologizes before asking, "What was the question?"

El repeats his question, not at all bothered that he has too. "I asked if you would like to get some food with us?"

Rasha stops and looks at Tako, who hasn't stopped yet. "No, I will catch up though," Rasha says. With a quick goodbye, Rasha leaves to catch up with Tako. Walking with a sense of hurry in her steps, she quickly catches up to him. "Where are you going?" She inquires.

"To my room," Answers Tako, not even bothering to glance at her. She slows to a stop as Tako continues walking. Meanwhile, El and Ichigo decide to go to the cafeteria.

El and Ichigo step through a door before walking down a long hallway. Displaced people and families linger in the halls, trying to make by. After passing through another door, they begin to climb up another flight of stairs. The stairwell is packed with people as well. Most of them are off to the side, either standing, sitting down or laying down. Just like in the hallway before, these are the people who have no rooms of their own. With most of their belongings destroyed, they have nothing except for the clothes on their backs and what little they could grab. Every one of their faces appears defeated and exhausted. El and Ichigo remain quiet as they walk. Each person they pass is a reminder. A reminder of who they were unable to protect. After the third flight of stairs, they stop at a door labeled 'Cafeteria' above it.

The cafeteria is a good size room, with about six benches in it. At the end of the room is a row of counters with a trio of robots standing behind it. A line of people standing, waiting for their turn at the green glob the robots are serving. The six benches are packed with people and there are people sitting on the floor. Upon entering the room, El and Ichigo feel like every head turns and look at them. They quietly walk to the back of the line.

The line moves along at a brisk pace, only stopping a few times. Mostly because someone is complaining about the food or asking for more. The cold robots reply to everyone with the same, synthesized words. "Please move along." After quite a bit of waiting, El and Ichigo finally get their turn. The robots drop the green slop onto their tray before moving on to the next person.

El and Ichigo travel to the far back corner of the cafeteria. They sit down and start eating. The green slop tastes like burnt beans mixed with mayo to create a horrible taste. Ichigo makes a noise the moment the slop touches her tongue. "Ew. No matter how many times I eat this, I can't get used to it," Ichigo complains as she struggles to take another bite.

"I know but we must keep up our strength," El reminds her as he eats the glop.

They nearly get through half of their food when they hear a woman's voice yells out, "How could you?!"

El and Ichigo both look up and see a woman standing across from them. She is in her early twenties, short brown hair and almond colored eyes. She is wearing a dark blue denim jacket over a white camisole. One of the sleeves on the jacket is ripped. Her camisole stops just a few inches below her belly button. Her torn, dirty blue jeans hang low on her hips, revealing some skin. Black, velco boots finish off her outfit. Behind her, in nothing but a diaper and a red t-shirt is a young boy. The boy has messy brown hair and has some resemblance to the woman. He doesn't appear to be much older than four or five.

The moment the woman's eyes meet with El's, she stomps over to them. "Why didn't you stop them? Weren't you supposed to protect us!" The woman shouts. Everyone in the cafeteria turns to see what is going on.

El and Ichigo stand as the woman approaches them. El lowers his head before apologizing. "I'm sorry. We weren't strong enough."

"Weren't strong enough?!" The woman repeats as some in the crowd start to mummer to each other. "Your JOB was to protect us! All you had to do was be stronger! Was to beat them!"

"We tried our best," Ichigo says but it does nothing to calm the woman down. El holds his hand out to Ichigo. He shakes his head, signaling for her to let him handle the woman.

The woman grows louder as she continues to yell. "Your best?! I don't think you did! My husband DIED because of you! My father was killed when one of the tunnels collapsed!" By now, some people in the cafeteria have gathered around. They all agree with the woman. Some start shouting out their losses.

"I lost my brother!"

"My son was killed in one of the explosions!"

"I don't know where my sister is!"

El holds out his hands in front of him. He keeps his voice as even as possible as he tries to keep the crowd calm. "I'm sorry everyone. We all lost someone-"

"Who?" The woman asks, acting like his words are a challenge. "Who have you lost?!"

Those words trigger something in Ichigo. The young girl steps forward as she shouts, "I lost my family! Those monsters took my mother and father from me!" As every eye in the room look at her, Ichigo begins to cry. She has been trying her best to appear strong for everyone but in that moment, all the pain and sorrow hit her. Like water bursting through a dam. Seeing Ichigo crying surprises many in the crowd. People begin to return to their seats and to their food. The woman, however, continues to glare at them.

El wraps his arms around Ichigo. His large body envelops the little girl. "It's okay. It's okay," El whispers as Ichigo continues to cry. The sound of her painful crying echoes throughout the cafeteria.

The cold, evening air blows into one of the lab's entrances. The entryway is big but the metal room is empty. The flooring continues out a little to a cliff. Several miles from the mountain they are in is North City. Just last month, the city was alive and the shield was humming. Now, it is nothing but craters and ruins. Piccolo and Bell did not stop their destruction after the Z Fighters left. Standing on the cliff, staring out at the city, is Tako.

His eyes travel across the city before stopping at where Capsule Corp once set. He grips his fists before lifting off the ground. He is barely three feet up before he hears Rasha's voice from behind him.

"Tako, what are you doing?" He turns to face her and just like before, El is with her.

"I'm going to fight Piccolo," Tako states, his voice full of determination. His declaration surprises both El and Rasha.

"Are you crazy? In your state? You couldn't fight him before-"

"I know!" Tako snaps, the pain of his lost clear in his mind. "I was no match for Piccolo or for Bell."

"Then why try to fight them now?" Asks El.

"Because this is it. We lost. Look at our city," Tako spreads his hand out behind him as he talks. "We were supposed to protect North City. It was the last safe place we had. But look at it. We weren't strong enough."

"We can find a new home. Once Yamcha is better, he will know what to do. You heard Bulma, Yamcha will be stronger after this operation."

"Where are we going to find a new home? Piccolo and his children have destroyed everything. This...mountain, is our home. I don't want to hide here. I don't want to continue to cower in fear. I want to die on my feet!" Tako shouts with conviction. Rasha and El say nothing as they think on his words. When Tako starts talking again, his tone is lower. "Maybe...with my final breath, I can take one of them with me."

The three of them continue to exchange looks as the crisp wind blows around them. Tako turns to leave but stops when El says, "I'm going with you."

"You are?" Rasha and Tako both say in surprise.

"Yes. Tako is right. We need to make a stand against Piccolo. His attack on North City caught us when we were divided. Maybe together, we can stop him." As El finishes talking, he looks at Rasha.

It doesn't take long for Rasha to give her response. "Going to take the fight to Piccolo for a change. To show him our power? I'm in."

"I want to go," A young girl's voice says from far behind them. Rasha and El turn around as Tako lands back on the ground. Standing in the middle of the room is Ichigo. She has been listening the entire time.

"Ichigo," Rasha says as she gives the girl a soft smile.

El walks over to her and kneels in front of her. He places his hand on her shoulder and tells her, "Ichigo, you can't go."

"Why? I'm a Z Fighter. I want to defeat Piccolo too," She argues as she holds up her fist.

"I know but..." El pauses to look back at Rasha and Tako. He lowers his voice so they can't hear him. "What we are doing, where we are going...we probably won't be coming back. Piccolo is a monster and a powerful one at that. After our fight, they will probably come looking for any survivors. You must protect them."

"But what good am I? If I'm not strong enough to go with you..."

"You are strong Ichigo. Like you said, you are a Z Fighter. If they show up, you must help Bulma and Yamcha get as many people to safety as possible. Okay?"

Ichigo doesn't say anything at first. She can't even look El in the eyes as she struggles not to cry. Suddenly, she hugs El. "I don't want to go. I don't want you to die."

"I know. But we have to do this. We have to try," Ichigo lets go of El as he finishes talking. "You made this easier for us. You killed Banjo," El comments before standing up. Ichigo gives him one final hug before letting him return to Rasha and Tako.

As she lifts off the ground, Rasha says, "Hey Ichigo, we will be back!" Ichigo waves goodbye to them as tears roll down her face. Rasha, Tako, and El fly off in the direction of Piccolo's Lookout.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 - Come Forth Shenron! Grant the Evil Wish!**

Piccolo stands on the edge of what was once Kami's Lookout. He stares down at the world below him, at his kingdom. He turns his attention towards an object in his hand; the Four Star Dragonball. He examines the orb and reflects on all the trouble he has had trying to acquire it. As he reflects on the past, Mr. Popo walks over to him.

Mr. Popo's speaks in a respectful tone that comes from fear. "My lord, we are ready." Mr. Popo's words bring Piccolo back to the present. He turns and faces Mr. Popo. Just beyond him, toward the center of the Lookout, is Bugle and Bell. Six of the Dragonballs are gathered together in front of them.

As they watch their father walk over to them, Bugle and Bell try to guess what he is going to wish for. "Do you think he is going to wish for Guit and Banjo back?" Bell asks but Bugle shakes his head.

"The most logical wish would be for immortality. However, Father might wish back Piccolo Daimao."

"Why would he wish back that old geezer?" Bell speaks with a little too much excitement. Piccolo glances at her as he walks up to them. He takes one last look at the Four Star before placing it with the others.

The four of them look upon the Dragonball set. Each Dragonball shimmers with an otherworldly shine. A smirk forms on Piccolo's face. "After all this time, I finally have them." Piccolo extends his hands out in front of him. "Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth: Shenron!" With Piccolo's words, the Dragonballs begin to glow in unison. The sky darkens and seconds later, a large bolt of energy shoots up form the Dragonballs. The bolt twists and turns in the air before forming into a long, thin dragon.

Bugle and Bell are in awe of Shenron's presence. "So this is Shenron..." Bugle exclaims as he studies the dragon.

The Dragon speaks with a deep, booming voice. "Speak your wish."

A gust of wind blows across the Lookout. Silence blows along with it as everyone waits to see what Piccolo will wish for. Piccolo speaks loud and clear as he makes his wish. "Shenron, I am the ruler of this world. I now seek to return home. I wish for a portal to the Demon Realm be open!"

Shenron's red eyes glow for a moment before fading. "Your wish is granted. Farewell," The mighty dragon says before starting to glow. With a burst of light, Shenron is gone and in his place, the Dragonballs. They hover for a few seconds before blasting off through the air.

Piccolo looks down at his children and orders, "Go. Find the portal."

Bell, however, has some questions. "But Father, why did you waste the wish? Why didn't you bring back Guit and Banjo?"

"Why didn't you wish for immortality?" Bugle adds. They both stare at him with confused looks as Piccolo makes his way to the building.

"We can always bring them back over them. As for immortality..." Piccolo stops in front of the building before turning around to face them. "Why wish for immortality when there are no more threats? Enough talk, go." With a wave of his hand, he turns around and enters the building.

Piccolo makes his way through the building until he arrives at a large white throne. Sitting on the arm of the chair is a glass bottle. Inside the bottle is the guardian of Earth, Kami.

Piccolo sits down before deciding to gloat over Kami. "Can you feel it old man? Can you feel the dark energy pouring into this world? I have opened a portal to the Demon Realm. Soon, I will take my rightful place as King."

"They will stop you," Kami replies in an exhausted, wheezing voice.

Piccolo scuffs at Kami's words. "They? There is no more they. After ten years, I finally defeated the Z Fighters." Piccolo picks up Kami's bottle and holds it up to his face. "No one is coming to rescue you."

"You are wrong," Replies Kami. He may be miniature, but his eyes are still defiant. "I can still sense powerful fighters on the planet below. They will stop you."

"Let them come! They pose no challenge to me." Piccolo sits the bottle down before closing his eyes. He slows his breathing down as he starts to meditate. He continues to mediate for several days straight. Then, one evening, he finally opens his eyes. "They have arrived."


End file.
